House Panel Advances McClintock’s Wildfire Bill
Sonora, CA– The House Natural Resources Committee has passed legislation by Republican Congressman Tom McClintock aimed at overhauling the U.S. Forest Service’s approach to wildfire response.
Dubbed the Put Out the Fire Act, the bill seeks to strengthen and reform current federal firefighting policy, taking direct aim at so-called “let burn” strategies that allow some wildfires to spread in remote areas. McClintock, whose district includes fire-prone Motherlode communities, has long criticized these policies as costly and dangerous.
“Only the Forest Service can prevent forest fires, and with policies like ‘let burn’ costing us both countless acres and millions of dollars in firefighting costs, it’s time they did,” McClintock said in a statement on social media following the committee vote.
The bill now heads to the full House for consideration.
