WASHINGTON – Wildfires continue to impact air quality in Washington as the Labor Mountain and Lower Sugarloaf fires burn over 40,000 acres each in Central Washington. According to Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove, recent cuts to wildfire prevention and response funding have left the state in a precarious position.
Upthegrove expressed concern over the reduced funding, emphasizing the need for restoration. “Unless we get money in the supplemental budget, it will greatly impact the next several fire seasons and our ability to keep communities safe,” Upthegrove said.
In 2021, the state legislature committed $125 million to wildfire preparedness and response. However, the latest biennial budget has reduced that commitment to $60 million—$40 million for this fiscal cycle and just $20 million for the next. This reduction is part of an effort to address the state’s budget deficit, but it poses risks for future fire response.
Sullivan, a spokesperson from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), highlighted the potential consequences of these cuts. He noted that while reserve funding managed this summer’s needs, next year could be different. “It threatens our aerial response. It threatens our ability to get heavy equipment,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan added that cutting air response could lead to increased costs for fire suppression. “There’s a real risk that the cost of suppressing the fires will be significantly more than if we just invested in keeping that fire preventing it from happening in the first place,” he said.
The smoke’s health impacts and the devastation of losing homes or lives are immeasurable, Sullivan noted. As the DNR awaits the governor’s proposed budget in December, they plan to advocate for restoring the lost wildfire funding to ensure community safety.
