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Committee approves $12.5 million wildfire readiness grants plus $250,000 Arizona Trail Fund amendment
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Summary
Senate Bill 12‑85 received a due‑pass recommendation after testimony from fire district leaders and the Arizona Fire District Association. The bill would appropriate $12.5 million to the Department of Forestry and Fire Management for equipment grants to fire districts; an amendment added a $250,000 appropriation to the Arizona Trail Fund.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 12 85, which would appropriate $12,500,000 from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026 to the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) to award grants to fire districts for wildfire readiness and response. The committee also adopted an amendment (introduced in committee) that would appropriate $250,000 to the Arizona Trail Fund and exempt the appropriation from lapsing.
Sponsors and witnesses said the appropriation is targeted to wildland wildfire apparatus and would be distributed on a grant basis. John Flynn, executive director of the Arizona Fire District Association, said the $12.5 million would be divided equally among the state's five DFFM fire‑management zones and distributed only to fire districts that are DFFM cooperators. “That $12,500,000 is equally divided amongst the state's 5 fire management zones as designated by the DFFM,” Flynn said.
Multiple fire chiefs described urgent equipment and water‑supply needs for rural districts. James Stoltenberg, fire chief for Tonto Basin Fire District in Gila County, told the committee that tactical water tenders and type‑3 engines are expensive and that a single tactical tender can cost roughly $500,000; a type‑3 engine can approach $1,000,000. Chief Jim Morgan (Pinetop Fire District) and Sean Westin (Mormon Lake Fire District) described regional deployments, recent large fires and mutual‑aid responses; Morgan said drought and energy‑release indicators create a heightened wildfire risk earlier in the season.
The sponsor moved the bill and the committee voted to adopt the Kavanaugh amendment and then gave the bill a due‑pass recommendation. The secretary recorded 9 ayes, 0 nays and 1 not voting.
The bill text and staff summary specify that funds are to be awarded as grants to fire districts for specified wildland apparatus (type 6, type 3 engines, tactical water tenders) and that recipients must be DFFM cooperators. The amendment adds an Arizona Trail Fund appropriation of $250,000 and exempts it from lapsing.
