Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on National Wildland Firefighter Day. The Washington state proclamation designating today as Wildland Firefighter Day is here.
“Wildland firefighters work around the clock, in the face of great danger, to protect us and our communities from wildfires—and firefighters in Washington state have been the first line of defense against the bigger, more frequent, and more devastating wildfires we have seen in recent years as a result of the climate crisis.
“Today is an important day to thank the men and women who put their lives at risk fighting fires and to reaffirm our commitment to supporting local fire departments and ensuring they have the resources they need to keep us safe. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will keep working to support firefighting efforts—and our heroic firefighters on the ground—in every way I can.”
Earlier this year, Senator Murray announced nearly $25 million in funding for 14 projects across Washington state aimed at mitigating wildfire risks. Murray underscored the need for greater federal investments in wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts at a Senate Budget Committee hearing in March. Senator Murray also played a leading role in passing recent legislation that boosts investment in wildland firefighters and firefighting efforts, including:
- The FY23 spending package, which included historic funding for wildfire prevention and mitigation, including a $550 million, or 14 percent, increase in total annual funding for wildfire suppression, a $3 million increase for wildfire smoke mitigation, a $40 million boost for hazardous fuels reduction, and increased funding for forest restoration efforts.
- The Inflation Reduction Act, which made historic investments in wildfire prevention, management, mitigation and recovery—including $5 billion in grants to support fire-resilient forests, forest conservation, and drought and fire resilient agricultural practices.
- The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided funding for community wildfire defense grants, controlled burns, forest restoration programs, and other federal firefighting resources.
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