Idaho U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have joined three other Western senators to introduce a bipartisan bill aimed at providing resources to help communities recovering from damaging wildfires.
Crapo’s office say the Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Act treats wildfires in the same manner as other natural disasters by making available funding to states affected by catastrophic blazes. 
The measure would provide states affected by wildfires access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The funds would allow states to implement tactics that diminish damages caused by wildfires, and also to carry out plans to prevent future fires.
The bill differs from last week’s announcement that the Office of Management recommended funding to replace the more than $570 million transferred away in this year’s fire season from forest restoration accounts to fight a record fire season. The new measure would direct FEMA funding to wildfire prevention activities. Currently, states can receive hazard mitigation funding to lessen the effects of a future disaster only after the president declares a major disaster.
However, unlike in the case of hurricanes, floods, or tornados, most wildfires do not receive a major disaster declaration.
Joining Crapo and Risch on the bill are U.S. Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado, Jon Tester of Montana, and Ron Wyden of Oregon. (Sen. Mike Crapo’s Office)
