HR 5782119th CongressIn Committee

Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025

Introduced: Oct 17, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-Colorado)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 is a multi-title bill aimed at strengthening federal readiness, detection, response, and recovery related to wildfires in the Western United States. It creates new planning requirements, expands funding mechanisms, and adds regulatory and research dimensions to improve coordination among federal agencies (Interior, Agriculture, Homeland Security), state and local governments, Tribes, and private partners. Key themes include greater transparency in firefighting spending, reimbursement for certain fires caused by military training, enhanced wildfire detection and modernized response tools (including drones and slip-on tanker units), and a more structured post-fire recovery process with dedicated teams and a long-term rehabilitation account. The bill also proposes a technology prize to spur innovations in managing wildfire-related invasive species. If enacted, the bill would likely shift how firefighting costs are tracked, increase federal attention to planning and coordination with local partners, accelerate adoption of new technology for detection and response, and formalize post-fire recovery financing and operations. It would also create new authorization and reporting requirements, with some provisions tied to sunset dates or annual reporting.

Key Points

1Firefighting funding transparency and catastrophic wildfire definitions
2- Requires annual reporting of obligations and expenditures from Wildland Fire Management accounts, with detailed breakdowns (ground ops, aircraft, personnel, on/off-incident costs, admin costs, etc.).
3- Expands reporting to include catastrophic wildfires, defined by thresholds such as large acreages, high-severity burn areas, and high-suppression costs or loss of residences/deaths.
4Reimbursement framework for wildfires caused by military training
5- Establishes reciprocal mutual-aid agreements with states for fire suppression when fires result from DoD training or operations.
6- Reimburses state agencies for eligible suppression services, with itemized cost reporting and funding drawn from DoD operation and maintenance accounts.
7Strategic wildland fire management planning and local integration
8- Requires a federal review and updated spatial fire management policies for firesheds on federal land, incorporating best science, regular updates after fires, and at least every 10 years.
9- Ensures risk identification for responders and communities; coordinates with states; delineates operational wildfire control locations with consideration of terrain, fuels, and hazards; and includes weather/severe-fire considerations.
10- Encourages embedding an experienced staffer in land-management planning teams to align with spatial fire policies.
11Fire detection and suppression technology modernization
12- Accelerates deployment of wildfire detection sensors and cameras, expands satellite use, streamlines permitting for detection equipment, and uses unmanned aircraft to assess fires in their early stages.
13- Expands financial assistance for slip-on tanker units to include Indian Tribes; requires annual reporting on program implementation and coordination for mobilization and training.
14- Supports R&D and testing of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) wildfire applications; includes a study on drone incursions and a separate study on modernizing communications, real-time situational awareness, and predictive modeling (including AI potential) for wildland fires.
15Post-fire recovery support and incentives
16- Expands Stafford Act authorities to fund online guides that help communities and individuals navigate post-disaster recovery funding/resources, with content on funding sources and mitigations.
17- Establishes permanent Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams to coordinate immediate stabilization, hazard removal, erosion control, invasive-species prevention, public communication, and coordination with longer-term recovery efforts (up to about a year after containment).
18- Creates a Long-Term Burned Area Rehabilitation account within the Department of Agriculture to fund habitat restoration, revegetation, watershed work, and infrastructure repair, with a 5-year project window and a 20% non-federal cost share; prioritizes projects with downstream water-resource benefits; annual reporting on use of funds beginning in 2027.
19- Establishes a Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for wildfire-related invasive species management, including an advisory board, prize administration, and annual cash prizes (with sunset provisions; authority ends December 31, 2028).

Impact Areas

Primary- Federal land management agencies (Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture, including the U.S. Forest Service and related bureaus)- Wildland firefighters and incident responders- Communities and infrastructure within or near firesheds on federal land- Indian Tribes and tribal governments (explicit inclusion in funding and program administration)Secondary- State and local governments that cooperate on mutual aid, planning, and firefighting operations- Private sector tech developers, drone and sensor manufacturers, and research institutions involved in fire detection, UAV technology, and wildfire modeling- Federal emergency management and aviation authorities (DHS, FEMA, FAA) due to expanded coordination, training, and drone-related provisionsAdditional impacts- Budget, budgeting processes, and transparency requirements for firefighting accounts- Increased federal emphasis on science-based planning, climate resilience, and post-disaster recovery- Potential regulatory and permitting changes to support new detection and response technologies- Opportunities for non-federal entities to partner on long-term rehabilitation projects (with cost-sharing)Fireshed: A defined geographic area where a wildfire ignition could threaten homes, communities, or critical infrastructure; used for planning and response.Catastrophic wildfire: A wildfire meeting several criteria (requires federal mobilization, large acreage, high-severity burn, and high suppression costs or loss of life or homes) that triggers enhanced reporting and analysis.BAER Team: Burned Area Emergency Response team; a specialized group that assesses burn severity, hazard removal, erosion control, and public safety after a wildfire.Slip-on tanker units: Mobile water-carrying firefighting units that can be quickly attached to trucks to extend water-delivery capabilities at a fire scene.Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for wildfire-related invasive species: A government prize intended to spur innovations that help manage invasive species linked to wildfire areas.

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