House Passes FIRE Act to Support States and Manufacturers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, celebrated the House passage of H.R. 6387, the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act, led by Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08). The legislation would ensure that states and manufacturers are not penalized for wildfire smoke and emissions through commonsense reforms to the Clean Air Act.
“States and manufacturers shouldn’t be penalized for wildfire smoke and emissions from other exceptional events. The FIRE Act ends a backwards policy that currently penalizes wildfire prevention and, instead, focuses air quality standards on controllable emissions rather than wildfires,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Further, the bill takes steps to ensure that prescribed burns can be carried out safely, limiting the risk of wildfires that threaten American homes and businesses. Thank you to Congressman Evans for his leadership in giving states and communities the certainty to act.”
“Under existing law, states who take proactive measures to enhance air quality and mitigate wildfires are unfairly punished by the Clean Air Act’s restrictive and unclear regulations,” said Speaker Johnson. “The FIRE Act ends this confusion and ensures that states and manufacturers are not punished for emissions from wildfire mitigation efforts, prescribed burns, and other exceptional events when determining compliance with national air quality standards. We are grateful to Rep. Evans for his leadership and efforts to restore commonsense to our environmental policy.”
“For years, Colorado’s economy has been burdened by costly, poorly designed regulations that punish small businesses, employers, and families for emissions they can’t control — raising costs, stifling job growth, and making it harder for communities to thrive,” said Congressman Evans. “The FIRE Act is a commonsense solution that lowers costs, slashes red tape, restores fairness, incentivizes wildfire mitigation, and prioritizes practical preventative steps that protect public health while improving air quality.”
BACKGROUND:
H.R. 6387, the FIRE Act — Rep. Evans (CO-08)
Under current law, a state can request EPA to exclude emissions from so-called “exceptional events” such as naturally occurring wildfires when determining the state’s compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). However, EPA’s process for evaluating whether certain emissions qualify as exceptional events has grown increasingly restrictive and inconsistent. States face delays, unclear criteria, and limited flexibility, which can lead to unjustified nonattainment designations and added regulatory burdens for manufacturers, energy providers, and local governments.
Despite this exemption process, a key category of emissions is excluded, creating a clear gap in how EPA treats wildfire-related emissions. Prescribed burns used to reduce wildfire risks do not qualify as exceptional events and are instead treated the same as emissions from a factory when EPA evaluates NAAQS compliance. This backwards policy of treating emissions from wildfire mitigation activities differently from naturally occurring wildfires is confusing and counterproductive.
The FIRE Act updates Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act to clarify how emissions from wildfires, prescribed burns, and other exceptional events are treated in federal air quality reviews. It strengthens states’ coordination with EPA to ensure timely, transparent exceptional-event determinations while maintaining strong environmental protections.
The FIRE Act ensures states are not punished for proactively working to reduce risks from wildfires, treating emissions from wildfire mitigation the same as smoke and emissions states cannot control. It provides clarity and predictability for air quality planning, reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens on manufacturers and communities, and rewards proactive wildfire mitigation that protects public health and improves future air quality.