Moses Lake lawmaker seeks to extend wildfire aircraft response program

Moses Lake lawmaker seeks to extend wildfire aircraft response program

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A new push in Olympia could make a temporary program permanent, allowing rural fire districts to call in aircraft early during wildfires. Building on the success of a 2023 pilot program that improved wildland fire response efficiency, House Bill 2014 sponsor Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake) emphasized the program's effectiveness, saying it

WA lawmaker seeks to make temporary early wildfire air support program permanent

MOSES LAKE – An Eastern Washington lawmaker is leading a bipartisan effort through House Bill 2104 to make a temporary wildfire program permanent. Rep. Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake) explains the policy allows rural fire departments to request early aircraft support, preventing costly state mobilizations. “These small rural fire departments can call, and they can request, air asset support to come in when a fire begins and, quite often, we can knock th…

Washington lawmaker seeks to make early wildfire air support program permanent

OLYMPIA, WA — A bipartisan proposal in the Washington Legislature would make permanent a program allowing rural fire districts to request aircraft early during wildfire responses. House Bill 2104, sponsored by Tom Dent of Moses Lake and other lawmakers, seeks to remove the expiration date on a pilot program created in 2023 that gives local and tribal fire departments financial assurance to deploy aerial firefighting resources during initial atta…