Wildfire Betting and the Human Cost | Tech News

Wildfires rage while some bet on how bad they’ll get—people wagered over a million dollars on Southern California fires, shocking survivors like Sylvie Andrews and Susan Sherman, who called it crass. Critics warn it could incentivize arson, since fires can be started in minutes, and the US Forest Service says tying money to wildfire outcomes contradicts its mission. A new site, Wyldfyre, promises to trade on California fires using NASA data, though official agencies say they rely on proven science. As states begin to regulate, the debate rages: is this useful data or a dangerous commodification of disaster? Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c9cc838b217ac394