a lot less than what it costs us not to...shall I send you the bill for the forest fires this week...
On the contrary, you and I will be getting the bill for future brush and tree clearing. Last year Southern California received $4 million for fuel reduction. Right now, the Senate is debating a bill to increase that substantially. I wish they'd done so years ago.
The point is that brush clearance is necessary but it isn't free. No logging company, for example, wants chaparral. If we want to protect these areas from future fires it will require expensive brush clearing and dangeous controlled burns.