Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6387, the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act by a vote of 220-198. After the legislation earned the votes of every Member of the Congressional Western Caucus, Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02) and the bill's sponsor, Representative Gabe Evans (CO-08) released these statements:

“Wildfire prevention should be encouraged, not penalized. This bill modernizes the Clean Air Act so air quality standards reflect reality, not accounting errors. The results are clearer rules, smarter wildfire prevention, and fewer unfair regulatory hits on states and counties,” said Chair Celeste Maloy.

“For years, Colorado's economy has been burdened by costly, poorly designed regulations that punish small businesses, employers, and families for emissions they can't control — raising costs, stifling job growth, and making it harder for communities to thrive. The FIRE Act is a commonsense solution that lowers costs, slashes red tape, restores fairness, incentivizes wildfire mitigation, and prioritizes practical preventative steps that protect public health while improving air quality,” said Representative Gabe Evans.
 

H.R. 6387, the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act
Sponsor: Representative Gabe Evans (CO-08)
Co-sponsors: Gray (CA-13), Gosar (AZ-09), Crank (CO-05)
Summary: Expands the Clean Air Act's Exceptional Events Rule (EER) to allow for States to facilitate prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk, without having to worry that the smoke from those burns will cause them to violate National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).