U.S. nears costliest wildfire season on record

The 2015 wildfire season is not only setting records for acres burned, it's also nearing the costliest on record, reports USA Today. With $1.23 billion spent so far this year to fight the blazes, the U.S. Forest Service is approaching its all-time record for firefighting costs of $1.65 billion, set in fiscal year 2002 (adjusted for inflation).

The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, now slowing making its way through Congress, would provide a fiscally responsible approach to treat wildfires more like other natural disasters, according to the Forest Service.