Author Topic: Wildfire Disaster Funding Act  (Read 2922 times)

Offline Ragwing

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Wildfire Disaster Funding Act
« on: June 17, 2015, 09:39:48 PM »
US Representative Derek Kilmer:

With Washington facing another dangerous wildfire season, it’s time to pass the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act. This legislation would fund emergency wildfire suppression efforts through separate disaster programs, like those that fund hurricane and flood relief efforts. With this approach we can get aid more quickly to folks in harm’s way and can more effectively focus on prevention measures to better protect homes and businesses before a massive fire strikes. Take a look at this link for current information about wildfire danger in your county: http://1.usa.gov/1Lfx4x7

HR 167:  Wildfire Disaster Funding Act
This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require specified adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2015-FY2022 to accommodate appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior.

If USDA or Interior determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for wildfire suppression operations, the bill requires the relevant department to submit to Congress a request for the funding and a plan for obligating the funds.

The bill also requires the President's budget to include the average costs for wildfire suppression over the previous 10 years.

Offline Baradium

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Re: Wildfire Disaster Funding Act
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2015, 07:11:21 PM »
I'm personally a bit skeptical about the need for this.

Hurricanes and flooding are under special programs because they don't happen every year.  While there are up and down fire years, there always seems to be fire and the equipment and personnel need to be in place or in relatively quick access.  I personally feel the move should be more along the lines of normalizing more of the funding.

This whole mess of having people stand by and not get paid unless there is a fire is something that I still really dislike about how things are done, at least up here.   As far as I'm concerned, during fire season it should be more like a normal job with call time and a guaranteed pay rate.
"Well I know what's right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I stand my ground, and I won't back down"
  -Johnny Cash "I won't back Down"

Offline Mike

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Re: Wildfire Disaster Funding Act
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2015, 12:18:59 AM »
After many years of fighting fire I STILL have not figured out where exactly the funds for it come from. I hear every year that they're almost out of funding, yet we keep flying. I just know there are many different huge pots for it "somewhere"....

And what if Washington AND California put in for this at the same time? Is this an unlimited pot?

Dear IRS: Please cancel my subscription.

Offline Ragwing

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Washington State: Paradise fire
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2015, 04:31:00 AM »
Washington State has three fires due to the high temperatures and below normal snow pack

An aerial photo of the Paradise Fire shows smoke rising near the Queets River Sunday in the Olympic National Park.

The Paradise fire is 12 miles from the trailhead and about 1,000 acres have burnt so far.

Helicopters have been brought in to help battle a wildfire in rugged terrain in Olympic National Park in northwest Washington state.

The U.S. Forest Service says 18 firefighters and two helicopters performing bucket water drops were attempting Monday to slow the progress of the blaze on the north side of the Queets River.

The fire, burning13 miles north/northeast of Quinault in the Olympic National Park, was sparked by lightning.

Authorities say no property or people were threatened because the remote location of the fire.

Fire officials say smoke jumpers who had been staffing the fire were released on Sunday since the fire has spread into an area that is inaccessible.

"We are doing everything possible to minimize the fire's spread, but right now we do not have many options," said Todd Rankin, the park's Fire Management Officer. "Traditional suppression tactics do not work in this fuel type since the fire spread is occurring in the forest canopy, not on the ground."

Fire officials say lichens, growing high in the tree tops, are catching fire and carrying the flames from tree to tree.

Fire officials say fire behavior analysts have determined that this is the Olympic Peninsula's driest year since 1951, the year of the Forks Fire. The Forks fire burned nearly 38,000 acres in one day.

Two other fires are burning in the state.

In North Cascades National Park, a lightning-caused fire is 60 percent contained and has burned more than 100 acres.

A third fire was sparked by helicopter crash last month. It has burned 85 acres in the Colville National Forest and is 95 percent contained.