Schiff and Other Members of Congress Call on Defense Department to Extend FireGuard Program

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena) and more than 30 members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling for the department to immediately extend the Defense Department’s FireGuard program — an invaluable resource for state and local firefighters responding to wildfires across the nation.

The FireGuard program plays a critical role in early fire detection and surveillance by providing near-real-time information on suspected wildfires, which helps save lives and property. 

Currently, there are more than 100 blazes in the western part of the country, according to the Associated Press. 

Last year, the Bobcat Fire prompted evacuation warnings in Pasadena and Altadena and led to evacuations in nearby Sierra Madre.

If the DoD does not extend the program by Sept. 30, states will not be able to access this critical information and will be required to use their own resources and budgets, which are already battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date this year, 3.8 million acres of land across the United States have already burned, caused by nearly 40,000 wildfires — including the largest wildfire in California history. The National Interagency Fire Center projects that above-normal, significant fire potential will continue through November, fueled by drought and extreme weather events caused by climate change.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that wildfires will only get worse due to climate change and the extreme weather it brings,” the letter states. “States and local governments will continue to struggle as the resources to combat these fires becomes more onerous. By extending the FireGuard program, the Department will help states continue to utilize this invaluable asset without the fear of losing this resource in the fight against wildfires.”

The letter, led by Schiff, is signed by 32 members of Congress. Click here to read the letter.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that wildfires will only get worse due to climate change and the extreme weather it brings. States and local governments will continue to struggle as the resources to combat these fires becomes more onerous,” the letter concludes.

“By extending the FireGuard program, the Department will help states continue to utilize this invaluable asset without the fear of losing this resource in the fight against wildfires.”