Sen. Dodd: Blueprint for Fire Safe California Released

Thursday, May 27, 2021

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and members of the Senate Wildfire Working Group today unveiled a comprehensive legislative and budget package to address a growing wildfire crisis in California that has taken life and property with an average of 1.6 million acres burned each year.

“The escalating frequency and devastation caused by wildfires across our state and in my district demands that we seek out solutions,” Sen. Dodd said. “Climate change and the looming drought have underscored the threat. Fortunately, we’ve developed a solid game plan here. It’s a positive step toward keeping our communities safe. We are now focused on prevention and protection, which over the long term, will reduce the amount of resources we have to devote to suppression.”

The Senate’s Blueprint for a Fire Safe California contains 11 bills aimed at reducing combustible fuels, creating fire breaks, expanding prescribed burning and enhancing our firefighting forces. All the bills are up for a Senate vote over the next week. These actions build on legislation passed in recent years and a record $2 billion investment in wildfire and emergency  preparedness in this year’s budget.

Included in the blueprint are two of Sen. Dodd’s bills: Senate Bill 109, which would create the Wildfire Technology Research and Development Office to harness innovation to prevent and control wildfires. Also, the package includes my SB 332 to expand the use of prescribed burning.

The Wildfire Working Group is co-chaired by Sens. Mike McGuire and Susan Rubio, and includes Sens. Dodd, Henry Stern, Ben Allen, Monique Limón and Nancy Skinner, as its members.

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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.