Legislation proposed by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Lake Sutherland) would counter the growing incidence of wildfires by increasing the efficiency of incinerating potential forest ground fuels and by requiring fire-resistant materials in new houses built in potential wildfire areas.
“The single biggest threat to our natural lands these days is the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires,” Van De Wege said, “but we have options for fighting back. One option is to reduce the potential fuels that feed wildfires.”
Van De Wege’s SB 6121, passed today by the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, would reduce the presence of common ground fuels by providing an incentive for landowners to remove dead forest growth in environmentally friendly ways.
“Forests are rife with dead limbs and other plant life, known as timber slash, that is burned to remove a convenient fuel source for wildfires and to improve forest health,” Van De Wege said. “Modern technology offers ways to incinerate that are not only environmentally friendly, but they also produce biochar, a product that is profitable and useful to agriculture.”
Farmers value biochar for its rich carbon content and because, when added to fertilizer, it reduces the amount of water needed for irrigation, Van De Wege said. Offering landowners more popular and acceptable methods should increase the ease and frequency of removing timber slash, reducing a common fuel for wildfires, he said.
Another Van De Wege bill, SB 6120, was passed today by the Senate State Government & Elections Committee. This bill would require new homes built in rural areas prone to wildfires to be constructed with fire resistant materials, making it harder for a wildfire to spread while also improving a home’s chances of withstanding a wildfire. The changes could affect everything from roofs to walls to driveways and more, transforming materials that now invite wildfires into deterrents.
“Using fire-resistant materials and designs will not only stunt the spread of wildfires, it could also benefit individual homeowners,” Van De Wege said. “Making homes fire resistant reduces their susceptibility to damage and destruction.”
