Sen. Alex Padilla Intros New Bill To Have Government Pay More Of Wildfire Fight Costs

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — California Sen. Alex Padilla has introduced a new bill that would have the federal government pay a larger portion of the cost of fighting wildfires.

Currently, some Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants are capped at a 75% and 25% split between the federal government and state/local agencies. Padilla's bill looks to raise that 75% federal cap in certain circumstances.

In 2021, California experienced the most expensive fire to fight in U.S. history. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the Dixie Fire cost federal and state agencies about $637 million to fight.

The Beckworth Fire complex Fire cost about $543 million to fight, with the Caldor Fire coming in at third, costing $271 million to fight.

Those three fires were part of the 2.6 million acres that were burned in 2021. So far, in 2022, more than 9,000 acres have burned.