Axios San Diego: New bill aims to bolster fight against wildfires in California
By Kate Murphy
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the West is introducing a bill to combat “catastrophic” wildfires and overhaul forest management.
Why it matters: Climate change and drought are causing wildfires to become more intense, widespread and harder to put out.
The legislation comes after the Los Angeles County blazes in January were called one of the costliest wildfire events in U.S. history, with estimated damages reaching up to $131 billion.
State of play: Some highlights of the Fix Our Forests Act — sponsored by Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) —are :
- Reducing wildfire risks in certain areas with more cross-boundary collaboration.
- Creating an interagency program to help communities build wildfire-resistant measures.
- Increasing research to test and utilize wildfire prevention technologies.
Between the lines: This Senate bill builds on the forest management bill sponsored by Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) that the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed in January.
By the numbers: So far this year, Cal Fire has responded to 653 incidents that have burned nearly 60,000 acres, killed 30 people and destroyed more than 16,250 structures.
- 10 of those were in San Diego County, including January’s Border 2 Fire that burned for nearly a week and charred over 6,600 acres near Otay Mesa.
- 95% of California wildfires are caused by people, per Cal Fire.
What they’re saying: As the state faces more frequent and catastrophic wildfires, this bill “prioritizes building fire-resilient communities, accelerating the removal of hazardous fuels, and strengthening coordination across federal, state, and tribal agencies, including through the creation of the first-ever National Wildfire Intelligence Center,” Sen. Padilla said in a statement.
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