Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
House Natural Resources Committee reports HR 178 after heated debate over suppression mandate
Loading...
Summary
The House Natural Resources Committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute and ordered HR 178, the "Put Out the Fire Act," reported to the House after members debated whether an aggressive initial suppression mandate would save communities or undermine managed-fire tools and firefighter safety.
The House Committee on Natural Resources on July 22 adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute and ordered reported H.R. 178, the Put Out the Fire Act, a bill directing federal land managers to pursue aggressive initial attack on wildfires that threaten high‑risk areas.
The measure, introduced and led on the floor of the committee by Representative Tom McClintock, would require the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to prioritize rapid suppression in exceptionally hot, dry or volatile conditions and when the National Interagency Fire Center has declared a level 5 national preparedness status. McClintock said the bill ‘‘restores the 10 A.M. rule’’ and would ensure that small ignitions are extinguished before they can grow into catastrophic fires.
Supporters said the bill restores a longstanding firefighting principle that can prevent small fires from becoming disasters. Representative Pete Stauber and other proponents described recent incidents in Minnesota and Arizona in which rapid interagency response limited damage, and argued HR 178 codifies that approach for the most dangerous conditions.
Opponents, led by Ranking Member Jared Huffman, argued the bill is an overcorrection that would remove important tools from fire managers, including managed fire and prescribed burning, and could put firefighters at greater risk. Huffman cited the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission and the Forest Service testimony warning that strict, blanket suppression mandates can increase risk over time by allowing hazardous fuels to accumulate.
Committee debate produced several amendments. An amendment offered by Representative Gosar (Gosar 44/Crank 44), focused on prioritizing protection of federal facilities and utilities threatened by wildfire, was adopted. Representative Leger Fernandez offered an amendment to withhold the bill’s implementation until the Forest Service certified wildland firefighter staffing at or above 2024 levels; the committee rejected that amendment after a recorded vote. Ranking Member Huffman’s amendment to create a new prescribed‑fire account was also rejected. The substitute as amended was adopted and the committee ordered the bill reported to the House by voice vote.
The committee record shows extensive discussion of recent incidents cited by members — including the Dragon Bravo fire at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and the Hermits Peak–Calf Canyon prescribed‑burn failure — and members repeatedly urged further investigation or additional guardrails. Representative Leger Fernandez, who represents New Mexico, emphasized that she supported stronger guardrails for prescribed burns and sought a compensation mechanism for permittees who suffer livestock or structure losses when agency‑conducted prescribed burns exceed their boundaries; she later withdrew that standalone amendment after discussions with the bill sponsor.
The committee’s action sends H.R. 178 to the House floor with the committee’s recommendation that it be favorably reported. The measure now moves into the broader House process, where debate and further amendment are possible.
Ending on procedure: the committee adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended and ordered H.R. 178 reported to the House; the committee recorded no roll call tally for the final passage in the hearing transcript (voice vote reported).
