NM Political Report: "Researchers Say Fire Policies Should Take Demographics into Account"
A news article links New Mexico's devastating fires to a new paper by RFF scholars Matt Wibbenmeyer and Molly Robertson about the demographics of those most at risk for wildfires.
A new study published this month in the journal Environmental Research Letters that focused on the demographics of the people living in those areas with high risk of wildfires in the western United States cited the 2018 study. The new study was conducted by researchers from the group Resources for the Future. Matthew Wibbenmeyer, a fellow at Resources for the Future, was the lead author.
Wibbenmeyer and his teammate, Molly Robertson, found that homes with a market value in the top 10 percent were 70 percent more likely to be located in areas with high levels of fire hazards. What that means is that areas with higher fire risk tend to also have wealthier residents.
