S. 91
Western Wildfire Support Act of 2026
Sponsor: Catherine Cortez Masto
1 cosponsor
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
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 by
- providing statutory authority for Burned Area Emergency Response Teams to coordinate emergency stabilization and erosion planning, and
- establishing 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 by
- expediting 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; and
- administering a prize competition for technological innovation for managing wildfire-related invasive species.
The bill directs federal agencies to plan and coordinate on wildfire management by
- incorporating 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.
Text of the bill
I Preparation
II Wildfire detection and suppression support
III Post-fire recovery support
I Preparation
Where this section came from
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Jan 14, 2025 · Introduced in Senate Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jan 14, 2025
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Sep 17, 2026 · Reported to Senate Marked up by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Feb 4 Reported by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Sep 17 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
(a) In general. Not later than September 30,
2026
2027
, the Secretary concerned shall review existing spatial fire management policies for each fireshed on Federal land and issue, as appropriate, new or revised policies that incorporate the best available science and planning tools.
(b) Requirements. Spatial fire management policies issued under subsection (a) shall—
(1) be routinely reviewed and updated
— (A)
as necessary
to
include
reflect
forest management activities or
changes in
accessibility;
the
(B)
fireshed
not
as
later
a
than
result
1
of
year
forest
after
or
the
land
date
management
on
activities
which
or
a
wildfire
incident
incidents
has
that have
occurred within the applicable fireshed;
and (C) not less frequently than once every 10 years;
(2) identify potential wildfire and smoke risks to first responders, communities, critical infrastructure, and high-value resources;
(3) be consistent with any resource management plan
or forest plan
developed for the applicable fireshed; (4) in coordination with
any
the local government,
State
, or Indian Tribe
that includes that fireshed, delineate potential wildland fire operational delineations that—
… 5 unchanged passages …
(5) include a description of the weather conditions for the fireshed that would
comprise
lead to
severe fire weather conditions
, including the hot-dry-windy index and other relevant factors
; and (6) include other prefire planning provisions relevant to wildfire response
, at the discretion of the Secretary concerned
. (c) Wildfire consideration during land management planning. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary concerned shall include
, on
in
a
the
team carrying out any
development or revision of a resource management plan
or forest plan
for Federal land containing 1
or
more firesheds
,
an employee that was involved in the development of the spatial fire management policies for that fireshed.
What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
(a) In general. Not later than September 30, 2027, the Secretary concerned shall review existing spatial fire management policies for each fireshed on Federal land and issue, as appropriate, new or revised policies that incorporate the best available science and planning tools.
(b) Requirements. Spatial fire management policies issued under subsection (a) shall—
(1) be routinely reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect changes in the fireshed as a result of forest or land management activities or wildfire incidents that have occurred within the applicable fireshed;
(2) identify potential wildfire and smoke risks to first responders, communities, critical infrastructure, and high-value resources;
(3) be consistent with any resource management plan or forest plan developed for the applicable fireshed;
(4) in coordination with the local government, State, or Indian Tribe that includes that fireshed, delineate potential wildland fire operational delineations that—
(A) identify potential wildfire control locations; and
(B) specify the places in which risk to wildfire responders may be elevated as a result of—
(i) exceeding a certain slope for the landscape;
(ii) containing an excess of hazardous fuels such that a threat would be posed under severe fire weather conditions; or
(iii) containing other known hazards;
(5) include a description of the weather conditions for the fireshed that would lead to severe fire weather conditions, including the hot-dry-windy index and other relevant factors; and
(6) include other prefire planning provisions relevant to wildfire response.
(c) Wildfire consideration during land management planning. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary concerned shall include in the development or revision of a resource management plan or forest plan for Federal land containing 1 or more firesheds an employee that was involved in the development of the spatial fire management policies for that fireshed.
II Wildfire detection and suppression support
III Post-fire recovery support