# Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023

When wildfires strike, the military has resources that could help—helicopters, surveillance technology, and trained personnel. Right now, though, there are bureaucratic obstacles and unclear rules that sometimes prevent the military from jumping in quickly to assist. This bill removes those obstacles and makes it easier for the Department of Defense to support wildfire response efforts.

The bill makes several practical changes. First, it requires the Defense Department to reimburse states for costs they incur fighting wildfires on federal land, rather than just allowing them to do so optionally. Second, it establishes something called the "FireGuard Program," which uses National Guard members to collect and analyze satellite and remote sensing data to detect wildfires early and monitor their spread. This gives firefighters better information about where fires are and how they're moving. Third, the bill makes it easier for the military to transfer surplus aircraft—particularly large cargo planes—to agencies that fight wildfires, ensuring at least seven of these planes are available for wildfire suppression and search-and-rescue operations.

The bill also removes financial barriers that currently exist. It says that federal agencies fighting fires won't have to pay the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for satellite imagery and mapping support during major disasters. It also exempts wildfire response from a federal rule that normally requires agencies to reimburse the Defense Department for assistance provided. Additionally, the bill directs the Pentagon to create new rules allowing the National Guard to use drones for emergency operations and wildfire response in the same way they use other aircraft, removing current restrictions on drone use.

Finally, the bill requires the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Homeland Security to study whether military CH-47 Chinook helicopters—large cargo helicopters that can carry water and equipment—could be effectively used to fight wildfires and conduct rescue operations. This is essentially asking experts to evaluate whether a tool already exists that could help, and if so, how to best use it.

Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023

Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023 This bill addresses the role of the Department of Defense (DOD) in wildfire emergency response. Specifically, the bill requires DOD to reimburse a state for the costs of fighting wildfires caused by DOD activities on state lands. The bill also makes permanent the Fireguard Program, under which DOD may use members of the National Guard to help detect and monitor wildfires and support emergency response to such fires. The bill updates provisions related to the transfer of certain aircraft from DOD and the Department of Homeland Security to other agencies for wildfire suppression and other related purposes. Under the bill, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) within DOD may not require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or a federal land management agency to reimburse NGA for the use of resources for any request approved in relation to (1) a request made by the federal agency through the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), or (2) an area of federal land affected by extreme weather. Further, reimbursement requirements under the Economy Act do not apply to DOD assistance provided to FEMA or a federal land management agency for requests made through the NIFC or those pertaining to an area covered by a declaration of a major disaster or emergency. DOD must issue guidance for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by the National Guard for specified activities (e.g., emergency operations) in a manner no more restrictive than the use of other aircraft for such activities.