Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025

IntroducedN/A

Public Lands and Natural ResourcesCongressional oversightDepartment of the InteriorEcologyComputers and information technologyForests, forestry, treesExecutive agency funding and structureAdvanced technology and technological innovationsAdvisory bodiesBudget processFirst responders and emergency personnelAviation and airportsFiresEmergency planning and evacuationAccounting and auditingAppropriationsDepartment of AgricultureCommunity life and organizationDisaster relief and insuranceAtmospheric science and weather

Why This Matters

The Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 aims to enhance federal efforts in managing and responding to wildfires. It focuses on better preparation, detection, and recovery to protect communities and natural resources from wildfire damage.

If you live in a wildfire-prone area, this bill could lead to better firefighting resources and recovery support for your community.

Affects: This bill affects firefighters, communities at risk of wildfires, and residents in areas recovering from fire damage.

Summary

Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 This bill addresses wildfires by authorizing post-fire recovery activities, supporting adoption of technology, and requiring additional federal coordination. The bill authorizes federal wildfire response and recovery activities byproviding statutory authority for Burned Area Emergency Response Teams to coordinate emergency stabilization and erosion planning, andestablishing an account to fund federal rehabilitation projects in areas impacted by a wildfire (e. g., ecosystem restoration, replacing infrastructure critical for land management). Additionally, for all hazard types, the bill includes post-disaster assistance in the federal disaster preparedness program and authorizes assistance to states for operating websites to provide information on post-disaster recovery resources. The bill requires federal agencies to develop and utilize technologies for managing wildfires byexpediting the permitting and use of wildfire detection equipment (e. g., sensors, cameras); providing funding to Indian tribes for slip-on tanker units that convert vehicles into fire engines; performing research and development on wildfire response applications of unmanned aircraft systems (e. g., drones); studying radio communications systems, situational awareness tools, and wildland fire predictive modeling; andadministering a prize competition for technological innovation for managing wildfire-related invasive species. The bill directs federal agencies to plan and coordinate on wildfire management byincorporating the best available science and planning tools into spatial fire management policies for federal lands, collaborating with state agencies for mutual aid in fire suppression (including reimbursing states for suppressing fires caused by military operations), and studying training gaps for integrating structural (e. g., local) firefighters into wildfire response.