This summer is expected to be dry and hot, and that means increased wildfire risk. Communities near range or forest land are especially vulnerable.
In Oregon, it costs an average of $56,000 to protect a home from an encroaching wildfire. That's according to a study by the Headwaters Economics, a public policy think tank out of Bozeman, Montana.
Executive director Ray Rasker says in Oregon, nearly 90 percent of remaining undeveloped private lands are within the wildland urban interface, meaning they're at risk of fire.
"More and more people are building homes on fire-prone lands," says Rasker.
In the short term, homeowners can take steps to protect their property, like clearing their backyards.
Long term, Rasker says communities need to think about fire when planning.
"The housing market is picking up again," says Rasker. "Wildfire danger is increasing, so we need to think seriously about where we're going to build out the next subdivision."
Rasker says that might also mean there could be some places that are too dangerous to build.
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