Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) Western Wildfire Support Act passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support. This critical legislation provides comprehensive resources to prevent wildfires, enhance firefighting efforts, and support communities impacted by increasingly severe wildfire seasons.
Over the past 20 years, wildfires have burned more than 8.8 million acres in Nevada, and the average number of acres burned annually has doubled. Just this fall 2024, the Davis Fire south of Reno burned 5,824 acres in Washoe County. Senator Cortez Masto recently visited the burn scar of this fire to discuss her work supporting fire mitigation efforts.
“The recent fires in Washoe County are another stark reminder of the growing wildfire crisis in Nevada and across the West,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Wildfires are getting hotter and more dangerous each year —which is why my bill makes sure Nevada has the resources to prevent fires, combat ones that do spark, and recover afterward. I’ll keep fighting to get this critical legislation across the finish line and keep our families and small businesses safe.”
The Western Wildfire Support Act authorizes funding for cutting-edge firefighting equipment, create new training programs for federal and local firefighters, and support wildfire recovery efforts throughout impacted landscapes and surrounding areas. The bill text, a summary, and a section-by-section can be found on Cortez Masto’s website.
Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts to support Nevada firefighters and combat the wildfire crisis in the West, securing billions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to support wildfire risk reduction and new firefighting equipment. She recently visited the burn scar of the Davis Fire and discussed key resources she’s delivered for wildfires fuels reduction in Northern Nevada. She also ensured all federal wildland firefighters—including many working in Nevada — got a significant pay raise in 2023 and helped designate the Sierra and Elko Fronts as Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes for wildfire prevention efforts.
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