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A now-defunct website called Wyldfyre, offered simulated bets under the tagline “you can’t predict wildfire,” “but you can trade on it,” reports The Press Democrat.

The prospect of betting on wildfires raises a number of ethical issues, according to Ann Skeet, senior director of leadership ethics at Santa Clara University.

"As soon as you place a contract on a certain event that involves the potential loss of life, you’re kind of monetizing human life, and in a way that reduces its value,” Skeet said.

Ann Skeet, senior director, leadership ethics, quoted by The Press Democrat. (The article is also running in the Mercury News, East Bay Times, Sacramento Bee, and Silicon Valley.com)