Bipartisan Bill Aims to Modernize US Wildfire Management, Support Firefighters

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a legislative package that would boost the hiring of firefighters, better coordinate wildfire response, and monitor air quality nationwide in real time to counter the mounting loss of life and property due to wildland fires. Reps. Josh Harder (D-Calif), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) introduced the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act on June 10 to counter the threat of wildfires and better combat megafires through measures supported by both Republicans and Democrats. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate that 66,255 wildfires burned a combined 7,534,403 acres in the United States in 2022. Lawmakers worked with wildfire crisis experts and firefighting agencies to develop the legislation...