Protecting Nevada’s Communities from the Threat of Wildfires

Photo: Firefighters battle a 2007 Nevada wildfire fueled in part by invasive cheatgrass. Credit to Sparks Tribune, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wikimedia Commons

As Nevadans, we know that the wildfire season in the West is only growing longer and more severe. Over just the past 20 years, wildfires have burned more than 8.8 million acres in Nevada, and the number of acres burned annually has doubled. 

Recently, we have seen fires tear through Southern California in the middle of the winter. Last fall, the Davis Fire south of Reno burned close to 6,000 acres. I toured the burn scar personally. It is clear that we need solutions now to protect our homes and communities in the Silver State. 

That’s why I just reintroduced the bipartisan Western Wildfire Support Act. This legislation would authorize funding for cutting-edge firefighting equipment, create new training programs for federal and local firefighters, and support wildfire recovery efforts. It also includes a provision to ensure Tribes can access grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to convert vehicles into flexible, early response fire engines.

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This isn’t a partisan issue. During the 118th Congress, the Western Wildfire Support Act passed the Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support. This year, my Republican colleague Senator Tim Sheehy from Montana is a cosponsor of the legislation. I will fight to make sure that it crosses the finish line and gets signed into law.

I will continue meeting with Nevadans, including Tribal leaders, to find collaborative solutions to the threat of wildfires in our state. Together, we can keep our communities safe.

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Photo: Official portrait of Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Wikimedia Commons

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