Iran War Drives Up Aviation Fuel Prices, Increasing U.S. Wildfire Suppression Costs to $100 Million

Aviation fuel costs have sharply increased since the outbreak of the war with Iran, threatening to push wildfire suppression expenses to $100 million or more, the Washington Examiner reported. The federal government leads suppression efforts on major wildfires, with roughly 500 aircraft used each year for these operations.

Those aircraft are overwhelmingly operated by private contractors, and most contracts include clauses that allow companies to pass rising fuel costs directly to the government.

Willis Curdy, a former aerial firefighting pilot who has battled wildfires from the air for nearly four decades, told NPR that the job demands far more from aircraft than typical commercial flying. 'This isn’t like climbing a 737 to cruising altitude,' Curdy said. He explained that aggressive, low-altitude maneuvers required on fire lines burn through fuel at a much faster rate.

'You’re constantly pushing the engines,' Curdy said. Water was dropped by helicopter on the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. U.S.

Forest Service has set aside $45 million for aviation fuel in 2026. The agency spent $52 million on aviation fuel in the 2025 wildfire season. Much of the West endured unusually dry, even record-dry, winters in 2025-2026.

Brett L’Esperance, CEO of Dauntless Air, warned that supply shortages could become the real crisis for fuel. 'That’s what’s keeping me up at night,' L’Esperance said. U.S.

The California Energy Commission reports refinery stockpiles in California are at their lowest level in more than two years as of 2026. According to the American Petroleum Institute, California depends more heavily on imported oil than most states. Supplies of imported oil to California have been disrupted by the war with Iran.