$700 million for wildfires part of shutdown deal

WASHINGTON — More help to fight Western wildfires may be on the way.

Congress moved Wednesday to provide $700 million for emergency firefighting to the Forest Service and other agencies.

The emergency aid is part of legislation approved by the Senate and House to avert a government shutdown before the fiscal year ends at midnight. The bill is expected to be signed by President Obama.

More land in Washington state burned this year than ever before. The national cost to fight wildfires this summer averaged $200 million per week, an Agriculture Department report said.

The Forest Service gutted its annual budget to fight wildfires, transferring money from restoration programs. This has happened in six of the past 10 years, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

With the emergency aid, which is similar to what Congress provided after disasters like Hurricane Sandy, it is likely that the $700 million of transferred funds will be replenished.

Two bills have been introduced in Congress to change the way the nation pays to fight wildfires, but neither has garnered enough support to pass both chambers.

In the House, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act calls for the Forest Service and Interior Department to receive additional funds during the most severe fire seasons. It’s sponsored by Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, and has the support of all members from Washington state.

An identical bill in the Senate is co-sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

Another bill, the Resilient Federal Forests Act, would create a new disaster fund within the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It passed the House in July but lacks Democratic support in the Senate.

Kevin Graeler, a student in the University of Missouri Washington, D.C., Reporting Program, is a correspondent for The Spokesman-Review.