A resolution designating May 2026 as "National Wildfire Preparedness Month".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 741 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 741

   Designating May 2026 as ``National Wildfire Preparedness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 20, 2026

 Ms. Hirono submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

   Designating May 2026 as ``National Wildfire Preparedness Month''.

Whereas wildfires across the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the
        United States territories have increased in scale, complexity, and
        severity, fire seasons have lengthened in many parts of the United
        States to encompass the entire year, and wildfire has become a threat in
        regions of the United States that have little or no history of wildfire;
Whereas, in the United States from 2016 to 2025, 634,052 wildfires burned,
        consuming a total of 70,543,367 acres;
Whereas, in the United States from January 1 to May 1, 2026, 1,848,210 acres
        have burned, which is 94 percent higher than the previous 10-year
        average, and 24,066 wildfires have been reported, which is 50 percent
        higher than the previous 10-year average;
Whereas, from May 2026 to August 2026, over 40 percent of States in the United
        States are expected to face above normal risk for significant wildfire
        events;
Whereas nearly 85 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by
        humans;
Whereas Federal wildfire suppression efforts cost more than $3,000,000,000 per
        year, and the total cost of wildfire damage across the United States is
        estimated to be tens to hundreds of billions of dollars per year;
Whereas significant investments in proactive planning, mitigation, and risk
        reduction are necessary for the United States to counteract increasingly
        severe wildfire risk, damage, and loss;
Whereas firefighters are on the front lines and are at an increased risk of
        developing cancer and respiratory diseases because they are exposed to
        smoke and hazardous chemicals in the line of duty;
Whereas the effects of long-term exposure to wildfire smoke will harm more
        people, as particulate pollution can cause asthma attacks, heart
        attacks, strokes, and even death;
Whereas preventative measures exist to help individuals and communities increase
        their fire resilience through--

    (1) reducing the risk of home ignition by using fire-resistant
construction materials and maintaining yard vegetation;

    (2) community planning that reduces home wildfire exposure and
increases access for firefighters;

    (3) evacuation planning and assistance for people and their animals;

    (4) vegetation and forest management; and

    (5) limited use of combustibles during high heat or drier seasons,
including fireworks, exhaust, and open flames; and

Whereas a nationally designated Wildfire Preparedness Month--

    (1) increases awareness of the threat of wildfires and the knowledge of
lifesaving and fire-mitigation practices; and

    (2) promotes educational initiatives, encourages community programming,
and increases overall knowledge and preparedness: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates May 2026 as ``National Wildfire Preparedness
        Month'';
            (2) encourages increased awareness of, and preparedness
        for, the threat of wildfires and subsequent suppression efforts
        at the Federal, State, local, and Tribal levels of government,
        including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities, and by
        nongovernmental organizations and communities; and
            (3) supports resources and educational initiatives that
        communicate how communities at risk of exposure to wildfire
        hazards can take preventative measures, including home
        hardening, land management practices that reduce or remove
        highly flammable grasses and shrubs, instituting or enhancing
        early warning systems, reducing unplanned human ignitions,
        reducing adverse health impacts from smoke and fire exposure,
        and safely and efficiently evacuating people and their animals.
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