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By Erica Evans
The fast-moving brush fire (click here) tearing through the Santa Clarita Valley this weekend is part of a larger trend: Wildfire seasons in the western United States are lasting longer and burning more land, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Over 29,000 wildfires have scorched more than 2.6 million acres of land already this year, and the peak of the fire season hasn’t hit yet, according to the report published last week.
Last year’s fire season was the most severe on record, burning more than 10 million acres — roughly twice the size of Massachusetts....
The US Forest Service is focusing on fire suppression and forest health. It might just be working. Nothing is perfect. There are going to be fires and some set by arsonists.
California is still struggling under drought conditions.
...Fire Suppression Cap Adjustment. (click here) We propose a budget cap adjustment to fund suppression costs for large and complex fires. Suppression would be funded at a level that covers 99 percent of the fires we fight, or 70 percent of our 10-year average suppression costs. Remaining fire costs would be funded through an “off-budget” fire suppression cap adjustment. Off-budget funding would be accessed with Secretarial declaration of need and imminent end of appropriated discretionary funds. Proposed language amending the Appropriations Act is included in this Budget Proposal, Appropriations Language Changes...
