Washington state Lawmakers seek to Permanently Authorize Early Wildfire Aircraft Deployment programme
Olympia, WA – December 30, 2025 – Washington State legislators are preparing to introduce a bill in the upcoming 2026 session to make permanent a program allowing rural fire districts to quickly request aerial firefighting resources at the onset of wildfires. The program, initially launched as a pilot in 2023, has proven successful in containing fires early and minimizing costs, according to supporters.
House Bill 2014, sponsored by Representative Tom Dent (R-Moses Lake), aims to remove the program’s expiration date, ensuring continued access to critical air support for rural fire departments. The bill is scheduled to be considered when the legislative session begins on January 12, 2026.
“These small rural fire departments can call and request air asset support when a fire begins, and quite often we can knock these fires down realy fast,” Rep. Dent stated in a press release. “We’ve done a lot of fires, we’ve knocked down quickly, and we’ve kept our rural fire departments economically whole. Everybody loves it because it works.”
How the Program Works & Why It Matters
Traditionally, accessing state or federal aerial firefighting resources involved a more complex and time-consuming process. This delay could allow wildfires to grow significantly before suppression efforts could be fully mobilized. the current program streamlines this process, enabling quicker deployment of aircraft – including helicopters and air tankers – to initial attack situations.
According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), early and aggressive wildfire suppression is the most cost-effective strategy. Containing fires when they are small prevents them from escalating into large-scale incidents that require significantly more resources and can cause widespread damage [https://www.dnr.wa.gov/wildfire].
The program’s success is attributed to its ability to provide rapid response capabilities to rural areas, which often lack the resources to combat wildfires independently. Support for the program extends beyond lawmakers, with fire chiefs and rural fire districts throughout Washington State expressing strong approval. Washington State House Republicans highlight the broad consensus surrounding the program’s benefits [https://www.leg.wa.gov/house/press-office/2025/12/29/bill-would-make-wildfire-response-program-permanent/].
Keywords:
* primary Topic: Washington State Wildfire Response
* Primary Keyword: Washington Wildfires
* secondary Keywords: Wildfire suppression, rural fire departments, aerial firefighting, House Bill 2014, Tom Dent, Washington State Legislature, wildfire prevention, DNR (Department of Natural Resources), initial attack, wildfire costs.