A group of US senators from five states has issued a public letter urging a crackdown on prediction markets that allow wagering on devastating wildfires, warning that such platforms could incentivize arson and profiteering from human suffering. The letter, released Monday, comes as active fires continue to threaten communities in the Pacific Northwest. The lawmakers, representing Oregon, California, Nevada, Minnesota, and New Hampshire, wrote that “offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering, all so the rich and powerful can profit.” They also highlighted “the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful.” The senators’ warning arrives amid ongoing wildfires in the Spokane, Washington area, where hundreds of buildings have already been destroyed and roughly a quarter of the city’s population has been ordered to evacuate. On Tuesday, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a suspect believed to have started one of the blazes. Prediction market companies have responded differently. Elisabeth Diana, a spokesperson for Kalshi, told Ars Technica that the company does not list wildfire markets “because they create perverse incentives.” But Polymarket, a major rival, defended the concept, saying it does not “profit from outcomes” and that users come to the site “for information.” The company also claimed, on background, that it currently has no active wildfire markets and has not for some time—though Ars did not agree to that condition. Wildfire experts voiced alarm. Michael Gollner, a professor at the UC Berkeley Fire Research Lab, said such markets “could create a perverse incentive for arson or other destructive activities.” He argued that the focus should be on mitigation and building community resilience, not “monetizing the outcome of devastating natural disasters.” Riva Duncan, president of the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters nonprofit, said her community is “pretty disgusted” by the markets. “To think there are people hoping to make money off tragedy is beyond comprehension,” she said. “They should ask some of the folks in Spokane who just lost their homes how they feel about it.” The letter was signed by lawmakers from Minnesota, home to a large Somali diaspora community, making the push to restrict disaster betting of particular interest to Somali-Americans.