U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, yesterday chaired a hearing to examine the outlook for the 2018 wildfire season and the nation’s fire management programs.

“Warmer and drier than average conditions are anticipated, and the southwest, in particular, is at very high risk for wildfires due to elevated drought conditions and strong winds,” Murkowski said. “Already this year, almost 24,000 wildfires have burned about 1.7 million acres across the country.”

Murkowski noted that while a lack of hazardous fuels removal and extremely dry weather create prime fire conditions, humans are often the cause of wildfires.

“Nationwide, people are responsible for starting 84 percent of wildfires,” Murkowski said. “With fire season upon us, I urge everyone to be more vigilant and smart about fire because we can make a measurable difference if we are more careful.”                               

Murkowski also highlighted ways to better mitigate wildfire risks through active forest management. This includes the construction of large fuel breaks, which saved homes and lives on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula during the massive Funny River Fire in 2014.

In March, Congress provided significant funding through the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus for wildfire suppression, which will end the destructive practice of fire borrowing, while also providing modest new authorities for forest management.

The hearing also focused on the roles that innovative technologies and greater collaboration between agencies can play to combat these challenges in an efficient and cost-effective way.

“It’s time that we execute a multipronged federal-state-local strategy to meet growing challenges presented by wildland fire,” Murkowski said. “I’m particularly interested in drones, which are less expensive to operate, maintain, and train personnel to use while helping reduce risks for pilots, crews, and firefighters. And I’m proud of the fact that the Department of the Interior and the State of Alaska have been early adopters in the use of drones to save communities and protect landscapes.”

The hearing featured two witnesses: Vicki Christensen, the acting chief of the Forest Service, and Jeff Rupert, the director of the Office of Wildland Fire at the Department of the Interior.

Murkowski is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Interior-EPA Appropriations Subcommittee. An archived video and testimony from yesterday’s hearing are available on the committee’s website. Click here and here to view Murkowski’s questions for witnesses.