California is getting more resources to fight wildfires and perhaps prevent them from becoming major disasters.
The FEMA Improvement and Efficiency Act, also known as the FIRE Act, is aimed at changing how federal resources are deployed ahead of a megafire.
It updates the federal response, allowing FEMA to pre-position resources during extreme fire weather, such as red flag warnings.
It will also prioritize wildfire survivors for housing and would provide more assistance for low-income residents.
The bill also provides funds to help update emergency operations on tribal land.
On Thursday, Sen. Alex Padilla and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren joined local leaders and Cal Fire to talk about how the bill will help firefighters prevent disastrous megafires, which are becoming more common because of climate change.
"We learned a lot of what local officials do, what state officials had done, but it was clear that the federal government needs to be a better partner," Padilla said.
Padilla sponsored the bill, which passed unanimously in the Senate. Lofgren is shepherding the House version, which she expects will have broad support.
"Climate change has changed wildfires in California and throughout the west," Lofgren said. "Wildfires deserve the same amount of attention as other natural disasters, like hurricanes and floods."
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