Lawmakers review $176.9 million in recent wildfire appropriations and limits of emergency fire suppression account

Legislators on the Joint Appropriations Committee were briefed on state wildfire spending and the Emergency Fire Suppression Account on June 12, 2025, in Gillette, where analysts and agency leaders described a patchwork of accounts, recent supplemental appropriations and limits to rapid funding for large seasons.

The discussion matters because large, multi‑jurisdiction wildfires can exhaust the dedicated accounts the state relies on — forcing delayed reimbursements and use of borrowing authority. Elizabeth Martineau, senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Service Office, told the committee the legislature authorized about $176,900,000 for wildfire suppression, mitigation and recovery for the 2025–26 biennium and that those totals include a mix of direct appropriations, contingency funding, grants and borrowing authority.

Martineau outlined how the state uses multiple mechanisms: two dedicated state accounts (including the Emergency Fire Suppression Account, or EFSA), direct appropriations, borrowing authority, governor transfer authority (the “B‑11” process),…