After last year’s devastating wildfires throughout the State of California, our state is again bracing for another challenging fire season.  Only a few weeks into the official fire seasons, we’ve already seen more than 1,700 wildfires burn throughout California over the last three weeks.  These fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres and threatened hundreds of homes and unfortunately the danger to California and other Western states remains.

Closure to home the Gap fire has burned nearly ten thousand acres on the Central Coast and threatened several hundred homes near the city of Goleta.  It is now the state’s number one priority.  In the face of difficult conditions our incredible firefighters and emergency personnel have worked tirelessly to limit the destruction and save hundreds of homes. 

I have been following the fire closely and working with my colleagues here in Washington to ensure the federal government continues to provide support and resources to our county and our state in this time of need.  Today the House passed two bills pertaining to the wildfires in California, an important first step as we support ongoing efforts to fight the current fires and prevent future fires from starting in the first place.

The Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Act, or FLAME Act (H.R. 5541) would establish a federal fund to cover the costs of catastrophic wildland fires when those costs exceed predicted levels.  For too long the high cost of fighting fires has relied on unpredictable emergency funding measures and put a squeeze on other critical Forrest Service operations, including fire prevention and mitigation efforts.  This common sense bill creates an emergency federal fund dedicated to fighting fires that is separate from the Forrest Service’s regular fire fighting funding.  The emergency fund established under the FLAME Act ensures our efforts to fight today’s fires don’t hurt our efforts to prevent tomorrow’s fires. 

As we face increased wildfire threats due to prolonged droughts, global warming, and increased development in remote areas we must ensure federal fire fighting tactics are both proactive and reactive.  Proper prevention efforts are critical to reducing the likelihood of widespread and severe fires in our communities.  While we can’t prevent all fires, we can reduce their frequency and severity by doing all that we can before they start.

I also joined my colleagues in passing House Resolution 1322, which commends the firefighters from California and throughout the U.S. for their courageous actions in fighting the recent wildfires.  At this very moment, thousands of men and women are putting their lives on the line to protect our wildlands and private property from these dangerous fires.  I am proud to say that California’s emergency preparedness systems and procedures are among the best in the nation.  Thanks to the quick work of federal, state and local emergency personal the lives and precious property of my constituents have been protected from the threat of the Gap fire.  I know I speak for my friends and neighbors on the Central Coast and all Californians as we thank and honor these courageous individuals by approving this resolution.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.