Congresswoman Schrier Calling for Additional Resources to Support Current Wildfire Fighting Effort in Washington State

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After multiple phone conversations and online meetings with the Forest Service and stakeholders to amplify efforts to fight the Pioneer Fire, Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08) sent a letterto the National Interagency Fire Center calling for the mobilization of additional national and international resources for the response to the Pioneer Fire and other fires in Washington's 8th District. The Pioneer Fire is burning 31 miles northwest of Chelan, WA and approaching the community of Stehekin, a doorway to the North Cascades National Park.

This fire is now spanning over 30,000 acres and is quickly encroaching on land just outside of Stehekin, WA which is currently at a level 2 Fire Advisory. Congresswoman Schrier is requesting further information on the access and availability of additional fire management resources outside of the region that can be mobilized to mitigate further impact of the Pioneer Fire and other fires in the region.

Wildfire season in the West has become increasingly severe and has directly affected Washington State. Congresswoman Schrier has taken great steps in wildfire mitigation to help combat catastrophic wildfire and protect the well-being of thousands of Washingtonians through legislation such as:

• Pushing the Biden Administration to implement a federal firefighter pay increase and supporting legislation to add federal benefits and pensions to firefighter compensation - Wildland firefighting departments are facing lower levels of staffing, making it increasingly difficult to contain increasingly catastrophic wildfires, putting firefighters more at risk and making their jobs even more difficult. This funding is meant to combat challenges with recruitment and retention.
• Introducing the National Prescribed Fire Act of 2024 - Which would require the Forest Service and Department of Interior to increase the number of acres treated with prescribed fire. Prescribed fires are an effective, underutilized method of forest management that help to reduce the number and effects of catastrophic wildfire.
• Introducing the Forest Data Modernization Act - a bipartisan bill that would modernize data collection efforts of the USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. This legislation will provide land managers and fire chiefs with reliable information they need about forest health to effectively work to prevent catastrophic fire, mobilize wildland firefighters during fire, and perform forest restoration work afterward.
• Securing $11.5 million in Community Wildfire Defense Grants to prevent and mitigate wildfires - Secured $10 million, the largest grant in the country, for the Kittitas County Conservation District.

"Mitigating risk in our forests has become ever more important with the increasing intensity of wildfires and lengthening wildfire seasons throughout the West," said Congresswoman Schrier. "The Pioneer Fire poses a particular threat as it encroaches on the town of Stehekin. Its geography also makes it particularly challenging to fight. For the past five years, I have been working to shore up wildfire mitigation and fighting capacity with local and federal agencies. We want to thank the firefighters and crews on the ground who have been fighting this fire valiantly. I am committed to getting them the resources they need and ensuring that the Forest Service prioritizes our region."