The federal government’s General Accounting Office (GAO) has been studying the value of GIS and recently issued a statement about its use in combating wildfires.
The statement is part of recent testimony before a congressional committee. You can view the document, which includes a number of color maps illustrating capabilities of GIS, at the URL below.
The GAO indicates that it is involved in a broader evaluation of GIS and that a report will be issued sometime in the future.
More information: GAO wildfire/GIS statement