A strong majority of Washington voters favor creating a Wildfire Victims' Compensation Fund, statewide NPI poll finds
Washingtonians are feeling the consequences of a hotter, drier climate — and they want proactive solutions. Earlier this year, the Northwest Progressive Institute’s statewide polling found that a strong majority of voters (55%) support creating a Wildfire Victims’ Compensation Fund to help homeowners, small businesses, and rural utilities recover after catastrophic fires. Only 30% were opposed, while 15% weren’t sure.
Modeled on programs already in place in other western states like California, Utah, and Hawai’i, the proposed fund would be financed through a mix of utility surcharges, utility contributions, and pollution penalty revenue. Former Governor Jay Inslee is a leading proponent, and he enthusiastically laid out the case for the idea in a guest essay in The Spokesman Review that was published in September:
A Wildfire Victims Fund is a practical, multibenefit solution. It ensures economic justice for victims, increases prevention efforts and utility accountability, protects utilities against bankruptcy, and improves access to affordable wildfire insurance – all without pulling from the state general fund.
By creating a reinsurance-style backstop, we can provide financial protection for both wildfire survivors and the utilities they depend on. If a rural utility goes under, its customers don’t just face a blackout. They face soaring rates, stalled renewable energy projects and the collapse of a vital economic engine.
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2025/12/a-strong-majority-of-washington-voters-favor-creating-a-wildfire-victims-compensation-fund-statewide-npi-poll-finds.html