May 22, 2025
Ms. Hirono (for herself and Mr. Barrasso) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Designating May 2025 as National Wildfire Preparedness
Month
.
Whereas wildfires across the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the United States territories have increased in scale, complexity, and severity, fire seasons have lengthened in many parts of the United States to encompass the entire year, and wildfire has become a threat in regions of the United States that have little or no history of wildfire;
Whereas, in the United States from 2015 to 2024, an average of 62,435 wildfires burned, consuming on average a total of 7,553,704 acres, which is 705,612 acres above the previous 10-year average;
Whereas, in the United States from January 1 to May 2, 2025, 22,759 wildfires burned 988,319 acres, which is above both the 10-year average occurrence of 15,639 wildfires and the average 10-year burned area of 951,468 acres;
Whereas, from May 2025 to August 2025, over 60 percent of States in the United States are predicted to be at risk for significant wildfire events, and over 50 percent of States are expected to face above-normal risks for significant wildfire events;
Whereas nearly 85 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans;
Whereas Federal wildfire suppression efforts cost over $2,500,000,000 per year, and the total cost of wildfire damage across the United States is estimated to be tens to hundreds of billions of dollars per year;
Whereas significant investments in proactive planning, mitigation, and risk reduction are necessary for the United States to counteract increasingly severe wildfire risk, damage, and loss;
Whereas firefighters are on the front lines and are at an increased risk of developing cancer and respiratory diseases because they are exposed to smoke and hazardous chemicals in the line of duty;
Whereas the effects of long-term exposure to wildfire smoke will harm more people, as particulate pollution triggers asthma attacks, heart attacks, and strokes, and can kill;
Whereas preventative measures exist to help individuals and communities increase their fire resilience through—
(1)
reducing the risk of home ignition by using fire-resistant construction materials and maintaining yard vegetation;
(2)
community planning that reduces home wildfire exposure and increases access for firefighters;
(3)
evacuation planning and assistance for people and their animals;
(4)
vegetation and forest management; and
(5)
limited use of combustibles during high heat or drier seasons, including fireworks, exhaust, and open flames; and
Whereas a nationally designated Wildfire Preparedness Month—
(1)
increases awareness of the threat of wildfires and knowledge of lifesaving and fire mitigation practices; and
(2)
promotes educational initiatives, encourages community programming, and increases overall knowledge and preparedness: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
designates the month of May 2025 as National Wildfire Preparedness Month
;
(2)
encourages increased awareness of, and preparedness for, the threat of wildfires and subsequent suppression efforts at the Federal, State, local, and Tribal levels of government, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities, and by nongovernmental organizations and communities; and
(3)
supports resources and educational initiatives that communicate how communities at risk of exposure to wildfire hazards can take preventative measures, including, home hardening, land management practices that reduce or remove highly flammable grasses and shrubs, instituting or enhancing early warning systems, reducing unplanned human ignitions, reducing adverse health impacts from smoke and fire exposure, and safely and efficiently evacuating people and their animals.