State Democrats propose bill to raise $62 million to fight wildfires

A new bill proposed by Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and Washington State Senate Democrats would raise over $62 million annually to fight and prevent wildfires.

RELATED: Western Washington braces for tough year of wildfires

Funding for the measure would be pulled from an increase to a tax on insurance premiums for property and casualty insurance, from 2 percent to 2.52 percent.

Those funds would in turn be put into a single account for the express purpose of suppression and prevention of wildfires statewide.

“The question is whether we pay now to be proactive and protect our communities or whether we pay higher costs later when our forests burn and our air is filled with smoke,” said Commissioner Franz in a news release.

The money raised would go toward funding full-time firefighters, investments in aerial assets for fire suppression, and the creation of a fire training academy, among a handful of other measures.

More specifically, the bill would look to add two additional helicopters, 30 new firefighters working full-time, and community outreach specialists to educate people on ways to avoid wildfires.

This comes shortly after fires plagued the Puget Sound area during a record-setting heat wave in March, that saw 25 fires pop in a three-day span. West of the Cascades, crews have already responded to 49 brush fires.

“We’re seeing wildfires that are bigger and harder to contain, and we’re seeing them far more often,” said Democratic Senator Kevin Van De Wege, one of the bill’s six sponsors.

As the month winds to a close, Seattle is slated for one of the driest Marches in the last 75 years, feeding into concerns that wildfires will be especially prevalent this year, especially once we head into the summer months.

RELATED: Seattle is slated for one of driest Marches in 75 years

Forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agree, calling for dry, hot weather in the coming months. The NOAA’s forecast also predicts less precipitation than in past seasons, with a 40-50 percent chance of getting a “drier than normal” season.

The hope for Senate Democrats is that the state can get ahead of wildfires early, and provide a safety net before the flames are at our collective front door.

“Year after year, we rely on our state’s rainy day fund to reimburse catastrophic fire response. It’s time for the state to plan responsibly in order to protect communities and invest in healthy forests” said co-sponsor Sen. Christine Rolfes, chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

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