NCJ Number
110285
Journal
Journal of Environmental Management Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1987) Pages: 377-393
Date Published
1987
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper describes a four-quadrant economic model relating State law enforcement efforts and costs to fire management expenditures and net value changes caused by arson wildfires in Arkansas.
Abstract
A four-quadrant economic model of fire management, adapted by Simard (1976) from the work of Freeman et al. (1973) on the economics of pollution control, expands Sparhawk's (1925) least cost-plus-loss economic model of fire control. Simard's (1976) model, which has three functions (damage, production, and cost) instead of the traditional two (damage and cost), was adapted to a law enforcement-arson fire prevention context. Data for this feasibility study were obtained from Arkansas, a State with a relatively large average annual number (1,457) of arson wildfires and an active law enforcement program. After developing a method for individualizing the generic production function to a specific State, the method was extended to develop a set of curves within the State, incorporating different arson fire occurrence densities in each cover type. The prevention efficiency analysis, based on the statewide production function, indicates that, at lower enforcement costs, large increases in enforcement effort oculd be justified on an economic efficiency basis. Even at the highest enforcement cost analyzed ($40,000 fixed, $1,000/unit of enforcement effort), increases in effort would still be economically beneficial. 10 figures and 7 references. (Author abstract modified)