As Washington state's wildfire season gets underway, lawmakers in Olympia are close to passing legislation that would help give firefighters the necessary tools for battling wildfires.
House Bill 1168 is aimed at reducing the threat of wildfires across the state of Washington by creating a dedicated fund that would provide $125 million every two years to boost wildfire response, accelerate forest restoration and support community resilience. Fire departments across Washington are working with limited personnel and resources. Representative Larry Springer, who introduced the bill, said that money would be used to hire more firefighters and buy much-needed resources.
"We need better equipment. We are currently fighting fires with two helicopters that flew in the Vietnam War so it’s time to upgrade equipment," Springer said.
Springer said mitigating the fire risk is vital, especially for communities most at risk.