Wildfire

US House Passes Farm, Food, and National Security Act Of 2026 (H.R. 7567)

In April 2026 the US House passed H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, advancing a comprehensive farm bill that would reauthorise USDA agricultural, conservation, forestry, pesticide and energy programmes through fiscal year 2031. If enacted in something close to its current form, the bill would tighten and redirect funding for conservation and precision agriculture, reshape pesticide regulation and wildfire chemical use under FIFRA, and expand support for low-carbon fuels, rural energy and broadband, making it a key signal for long-term compliance, investment and supply-chain planning.

20 May 2026, 10:04govinfo.govUnited States

European Parliament STOA Workshop Highlights Nature-Based Solutions for Wildfire Resilience

The European Parliament’s STOA panel hosted a 12 May 2026 workshop with the Commission, EEA and researchers on using nature-based solutions to strengthen wildfire resilience and align EU climate, biodiversity and disaster-risk policies. Speakers signalled that future EU climate-adaptation, land-use and funding frameworks will likely put more weight on prevention, ecosystem restoration and paying land managers for wildfire-risk reduction, making NBS a growing strategic factor for rural, forestry and infrastructure planning.

15 May 2026, 18:34control.eup.glcloud.euEuropean Union

Tyrol Lifts District Wildfire Ban Ordinances As Risk Decreases

Tyrol has lifted district-level wildfire ban ordinances introduced in late April after recent and forecast rainfall significantly reduced regional wildfire risk. This removes temporary restrictions on open fires in forests and adjacent areas across Tyrol, but operators and landowners should expect similar emergency bans in future dry periods and continue to manage wildfire risk in their activities.

15 May 2026, 09:30tirol.gv.atAustria

Oregon Governor Declares Drought Emergency in Coos, Klamath and Wheeler Counties (Executive Order 26-08)

In May 2026, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued Executive Order 26-08 declaring a drought emergency in Coos, Klamath, and Wheeler counties and activating state drought-assistance powers through 31 December 2026. For water-dependent operations in these areas, the order does not itself impose new restrictions but enables faster engagement with state agencies and signals elevated drought and wildfire risk that may drive future water-management actions.

14 May 2026, 18:51drive.google.comUnited States

California Assembly Passes AB 2791 on Public Resources and Pesticide Notice Duties

The California Assembly has passed AB 2791, a Public Resources Code clean-up bill that would add a 10-day pre-application notice to regional water quality boards for pesticide and herbicide use under the Forest Resilience Exemption and make technical updates to Coastal Act governance. If enacted, forest landowners and coastal project sponsors would face new procedural steps and closer integration of wildfire resilience, water quality oversight, and nonprofit-led coastal access projects, signalling tighter scrutiny of land-use activities that rely on pesticides.

9 May 2026, 18:53leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

UK Parliament EFRA Committee Launches Call For Evidence On Wildfire Risk

On 22 April 2026, the UK Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee opened a call for evidence on how the UK should manage the growing wildfire risk across urban and rural landscapes, with submissions due by 15 May 2026. This inquiry signals heightened political focus on wildfire resilience, land management and cross-agency emergency planning, foreshadowing potential funding shifts and stronger expectations on land managers, local authorities and critical infrastructure operators.

9 May 2026, 13:22committees.parliament.ukUnited Kingdom

Connecticut Legislature Advances HB 5153 on DEEP Statute Revisions to Senate Calendar

Connecticut’s environmental omnibus bill HB 5153, which fine-tunes DEEP’s grant programmes, EV rebates, permitting rules and wildfire controls, has passed the House and is now on the Senate calendar for consideration in May 2026. If enacted, the law would adjust how municipalities, fleets and landowners access climate and conservation funding and comply with wildfire, hunting and water discharge rules from mid-2026 onward, warranting early planning by affected public-sector and infrastructure operators.

7 May 2026, 05:45cga.ct.govUnited States

California Assembly Advances Environmental Safety and Hazardous Waste Bills (16 April 2026)

California’s 16 April 2026 Assembly Journal shows a hazardous waste reporting bill (AB 1617) clearing the Assembly and a suite of environmental safety, smoke damage, water and food safety bills advancing through amendment and re-referral. For compliance teams this signals tightening household hazardous waste reporting and emerging smoke damage, solid waste, water and food safety frameworks in California, so forward planning should track these bills’ Senate progress and anticipate future implementation obligations.

1 May 2026, 13:18clerk.assembly.ca.govUnited States

Austria: Tyrol District Authorities Ban Open Fires in Forests and Hazard Areas

In April 2026, Tyrol's district authorities and the city of Innsbruck imposed emergency ordinances banning open fires, smoking and burning of plant material in and near forests across the province due to extreme dryness and heightened wildfire risk. Landowners and operators in forested areas must immediately halt brush-burning and similar activities, adapt work practices, and monitor local notices, as these bans apply until revoked and signal a stricter approach to managing human-caused wildfires.

1 May 2026, 13:01tirol.gv.atAustria

Spain Adopts Basic Civil Protection Planning Directive for Wildfire Risk

Spain has adopted a new basic civil-protection planning directive for wildfire risk, in force since late April 2026, setting harmonised requirements for state, regional, and local wildfire emergency plans. Over the next four years all civil-protection and local wildfire plans must be updated to align with this framework, which will tighten expectations on risk analysis, warning systems, evacuation and autoprotection for operators and infrastructure in wildfire-prone areas.

30 Apr 2026, 08:58boe.esSpain

California Legislature Sets Hearing on SB 1297 Regional Wildfire Partnerships Bill

In April 2026, the California Senate scheduled a 4 May 2026 Appropriations Committee hearing on SB 1297, a bill to create regional wildfire partnerships and a revolving fund to finance wildfire resilience projects, without changing the bill text after 14 April amendments. This procedural step shows continued momentum for the wildfire-financing framework but does not yet impose new legal obligations, so regional entities, utilities, and insurers should monitor the hearing and be prepared to engage as the bill advances.

30 Apr 2026, 06:37leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

US House Passes H.R. 6387 (FIRE Act) Amending Clean Air Act Exceptional-Event Rules

In April 2026, the US House passed the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act (H.R. 6387), which would revise Clean Air Act exceptional-event rules to clarify definitions and treat prescribed burns and other wildfire-mitigation actions more favourably in air-quality decisions. If enacted, EPA would need to update its exceptional-event regulations, expand regional modelling, and improve transparency on data-exclusion petitions, potentially easing attainment pressure for wildfire-prone areas while reshaping compliance dynamics for emitters and state regulators.

29 Apr 2026, 06:48govinfo.govUnited States

US House Rules Committee Recommends Rule For Consideration Of Clean Air Act Amendment Bills H.R. 6387, 6398, And 6409

In April 2026, the US House Rules Committee advanced a closed rule (H. Res. 1174) to bring three Clean Air Act amendment bills (H.R. 6387, 6398, 6409) and a related tax resolution to the House floor. This procedural step signals imminent debate on changes to how the Act treats wildfire-related exceptional events, EPA review of proposed legislation, and foreign-sourced emissions, warranting close monitoring but not yet altering compliance obligations.

24 Apr 2026, 12:11govinfo.govUnited States

Virginia DEQ Expands Statewide Drought Warning and Watch Advisories

In April 2026 Virginia’s environmental regulator expanded drought warning and watch advisories so that every county and city in the Commonwealth is now formally covered. This raises the likelihood that public water systems and large water users will face tighter conservation expectations under existing drought response plans, increasing operational and permitting risk if dry conditions persist.

23 Apr 2026, 09:23content.govdelivery.comUnited States

US Senate Introduces Wildfire Investment and Next Generation Stewardship (WINGS) Act (S. 4274)

In March 2026, US senators introduced the Wildfire Investment and Next Generation Stewardship (WINGS) Act to let USDA permanently transfer ownership of wildfire‑fighting aircraft and serviceable parts to state and local agencies after defined periods of compliant use under the Federal Excess Personal Property programme. If enacted, this would formalise long-term asset stewardship, clarify ownership and disposal rights, and impose new application, recordkeeping, and regulatory timelines that shape how public wildfire‑response fleets are equipped and managed over the coming years.

22 Apr 2026, 20:55govinfo.govUnited States

US House Adopts Rule for Consideration of Clean Air Act Amendment Bills H.R. 6387, H.R. 6398 and H.R. 6409

The US House has adopted a procedural rule (H. Res. 1174) scheduling floor consideration of three Clean Air Act amendment bills on exceptional-event air quality data, EPA legislative review, and cross-border emissions. This signals that targeted changes to how air quality data, legislative oversight of EPA and foreign-sourced emissions are handled under the Clean Air Act are moving into an active voting phase, so operators subject to Clean Air Act permitting should monitor these bills closely.

22 Apr 2026, 20:55govinfo.govUnited States

US House Considers FIRE Act To Revise Clean Air Act Exceptional Events Rules

The US House of Representatives has moved H.R. 6387 (the FIRE Act) into floor consideration, a bill that would amend the Clean Air Act’s exceptional-events provisions governing air quality data influenced by wildfires and prescribed burns. If enacted, this would give EPA and states clearer authority to exclude mitigation-related smoke from attainment and planning decisions, reducing regulatory disincentives for prescribed burning and reshaping Clean Air Act compliance strategies in wildfire-prone regions.

22 Apr 2026, 19:11govinfo.govUnited States

US House Passes FENCES Act Clarifying Clean Air Act Nonattainment Sanctions for Foreign Emissions

In April 2026, the US House passed the FENCES Act (H.R. 6409), which would amend the Clean Air Act to treat foreign, exceptional, and certain mobile-source emissions as beyond state control when determining nonattainment designations and applying sanctions and fees. If enacted, this could significantly reduce nonattainment sanctions and fee exposure for states and regulated sources where air-quality violations are driven by cross-border pollution, wildfires, or federally dominated mobile emissions rather than local industrial activity.

22 Apr 2026, 18:50govinfo.govUnited States

California SB 1404 Proposes Reinstatement of State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fee From 2027

California bill SB 1404 would reinstate the suspended wildfire prevention fee on habitable structures in state responsibility areas from 1 January 2027 and remove the 2031 sunset so the programme continues indefinitely. If enacted, owners of residential structures in high-risk wildfire zones should anticipate renewed annual per-structure charges and plan for long-term cost impacts on properties in California’s state responsibility areas.

22 Apr 2026, 18:39leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

US House Rule Advances Consideration of Three Clean Air Act Bills (H.R. 6387, 6398, 6409)

On 15 April 2026, the US House Committee on Rules reported a procedural rule to allow floor consideration of three Clean Air Act bills on wildfire-related air quality data, EPA legislative review, and cross-border emissions. If the rule is adopted, it signals that amendments to Clean Air Act implementation are moving into the House decision phase, so regulated emitters and air-quality managers should monitor upcoming debates and voting outcomes.

22 Apr 2026, 08:46govinfo.govUnited States