# National Prescribed Fire Act of 2024
This bill directs the Interior Department and Forest Service to dramatically expand the use of prescribed fire—deliberately set, controlled burns—on federal lands, with particular emphasis on western national forests. The legislation recognizes that decades of fire suppression have created dangerous fuel buildup, and controlled burns can reduce wildfire risk, restore ecosystem health, and restore traditional Indigenous burning practices.
The bill authorizes $300 million annually for prescribed fire accounts in both departments, with an additional $10 million annually through 2033 for a collaborative program supporting state, tribal, and local prescribed fire efforts. It requires federal agencies to increase the number and size of prescribed fires by 10 percent each year for ten years. The law makes it easier for states, tribes, and private partners to conduct burns on federal land through cooperative agreements that can extend up to ten years.
To support expanded burning, the legislation addresses workforce challenges by authorizing hazard pay for federal firefighters conducting prescribed burns, allowing conversion of seasonal firefighters to permanent employees, establishing dedicated prescribed fire task forces in each region, and creating training centers. The bill also protects prescribed fire practitioners from liability except in cases of gross negligence, and directs a study of a national claims fund to further encourage burning on non-federal lands.
The law modifies environmental review requirements to streamline approval of large prescribed fires and coordinates with the EPA to manage smoke impacts while facilitating prescribed burning under the Clean Air Act. Finally, it requires annual reporting on accomplishments and authorizes a national public education campaign about prescribed fire benefits.
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