SALEM â Many parts of the U.S. are facing lumber shortages â and experts say the problem is acute in the West after 2020âs devastating wildfires. Industry experts say several events led to the lumber shortage: lockdown orders and closures, new safety protocols that slowed production at mills, and a spike in home remodeling while Americans were quarantined followed by a massive wildfire season. âThe industry is normally like this fine-tuned machine. A lot of events (in 2020) disrupted it,â said Cindy Mitchell, senior director of public affairs at the Washington Forest Protection Association, or WPFA. Cumming Corp., an international cost consulting firm, said wildfires along the West Coast âhave led to a significant spike in certain material prices.â