Congress expands controlled burns to fight wildfires—and shields contractors from liability
S. 2015 — National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 · Filed by Ron Wyden (D-OR) · 5 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 10, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill authorizes the Forest Service and Interior Department to spend up to 15% of their hazardous fuels budgets on prescribed fire activities—controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk—on federal and non-federal land. It establishes a competitive grant program (capped at $10M/year per agency, $20M total per project, 10-year max) to fund collaborative landscape-scale prescribed fire projects, requires a 10% annual increase in prescribed fire acreage over 10 years, creates liability protections for non-federal contractors and cooperators engaged in prescribed fire work, and funds workforce development including hazard pay for federal firefighters, conversion of seasonal to permanent staff, and recruitment of veterans and formerly incarcerated individuals. The bill also coordinates with EPA and state air quality agencies to streamline permitting for prescribed fire smoke under the Clean Air Act.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is expanding prescribed fire capacity through funding, liability protection, and workforce development. While framed as hazardous fuels management, the operative provisions are substantively about scaling a specific fire management practice and creating employment pathways.
What the text implies
- Liability shield for non-federal cooperators (section 203) may reduce accountability for prescribed fire escapes or smoke damage; the bill treats cooperators as federal employees under the Federal Tort Claims Act, capping individual liability but potentially limiting recourse for third-party harm.
- The 10% annual acreage increase mandate (section 103) is a hard target that may pressure agencies to prioritize volume over ecological outcomes or community readiness, especially in early years when workforce and infrastructure are constrained.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Rural communities and local contractors (prescribed fire implementation contracts and grants); Nonprofit organizations and prescribed fire councils (eligible for grants and cooperative agreements; State and Tribal governments (grants, cost-share assistance, workforce development funding)