U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) released the following statement in light of the recent spread of forest fires and historic high temperatures throughout California:
“As the threat of a major wildfire continues to grow across California, Congress needs to adjust the federal wildfire budget to better protect our citizens and their property. In peak activity years, fire agencies borrow from other non-fire agencies to pay their bills – clearly an unsustainable operating model. Funds to fight wildfires should instead be treated like those used during hurricanes and floods. Congress should pass the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act and make the resources available to local agencies so they can do their jobs safely and effectively.”
The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014 would create a separate emergency funding account for fire response. This funding structure mirrors existing federal funding mechanisms for responses to other natural disasters, and would prevent borrowing from other agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service or U.S. Department of the Interior. Since 2000, these agencies have run out of money to fight emergency fires eight times. Under this bill, routine wild land firefighting costs, which make up about 70% of the cost of wildfire suppression, would …read more
Source: U.S. Rep. Ed Royce
