Sen. Dodd Introducing Prescribed Fire Fund Bill

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced legislation today that would enhance wildfire prevention in California through implementation of a $20 million prescribed fire claims fund.

“We know fighting fire with fire is one of the most effective means of prevention, which is why I wrote the law to encourage greater use of this wildfire prevention technique last year,” Sen. Dodd said. “This new proposal continues our efforts to encourage greater use of prescribed fire by ensuring those who practice this time-tested technique can have some protection from any unintended costs.”

Prescribed fire, also known as controlled burning, has been used for centuries to clear tinder-dry trees and brush that are known to fuel runaway wildfires. Rarely do prescribed fires escape their bounds and cause damage to neighboring properties. If they do, Sen. Dodd’s new bill, Senate Bill 926, would establish a fund to help cover costs. It is a follow-up to SB 332, written by Sen. Dodd and signed into law last year, which protects landowners and prescribed fire managers from having to pay fire suppression expenses unless they have acted with gross negligence. 

Sen. Dodd’s new bill is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy.

“The science tells us that greater use of prescribed fire is a critical step to protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy program at Stanford University. “Sen. Dodd has been a leading advocate for smart, careful use of prescribed fire.  This bill creates a structure that will allow landowners and prescribed burners to feel more comfortable using this important tool, knowing that if unintentional harm occurs, there are funds to make people whole.”

“This claims fund is the lynchpin of all the other prescribed fire efforts we’ve been working on,” said Lenya N. Quinn-Davidson, are fire director of University of California Cooperative Extension and director of Northern California Prescribed Fire Council. “With this bill, Sen. Dodd is proposing an equitable, effective approach to rolling out the fund. We are so grateful for his continued efforts to promote and expedite this important work.”

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.