U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Ken Calvert (R-CA) have joined 25 congressional colleagues in advocating additional support for combating wildfires and ensuring communities have resources to suppress wildfires.
Thompson and Calvert recently spearheaded the effort to forward correspondence to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland regarding the matter.
“In California, eight of the state’s largest wildfires in recorded history have occurred in the last five years,” the legislators wrote. “In that time frame, 10 million acres have burned, hundreds of people have died, more than 32,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed, and an unacceptable level of greenhouse gasses and other air pollutants have been released into the atmosphere.”
The lawmakers noted wildfires do not respect jurisdictional boundaries and indicated constant communication between public and private entities is crucial.
“Federal and state agencies, emergency response personnel, local governments, and landowners are all critical partners in wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts,” the legislators concluded. “We appreciate every effort made to coordinate with each of these parties and encourage that coordination to continue at every step so that everyone on the ground has the most up-to-date information and can utilize the most effective tactics.”
The lawmakers encouraged the agencies to be proactive in securing resources in advance of wildfire season.