[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 591 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 591
Expressing support for the recognition of August 22 through 28, 2021,
as Wildfire Preparedness Week, the national event educating the public
on fire safety and preparedness, and supporting the goals of a Wildfire
Preparedness Week.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 17, 2021
Mrs. Torres of California (for herself, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Takano, Ms.
Matsui, Mr. Costa, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Vargas, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Huffman,
Ms. Chu, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Bass, Ms. Waters, Ms.
Brownley, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Correa, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Lieu, Ms.
Sanchez, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Porter, Ms. Speier, Ms. Barragan, Mr.
Garamendi, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Thompson of
California, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Lofgren, and Mr. Levin of
California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources
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RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the recognition of August 22 through 28, 2021,
as Wildfire Preparedness Week, the national event educating the public
on fire safety and preparedness, and supporting the goals of a Wildfire
Preparedness Week.
Whereas Wildfire Preparedness Week increases awareness of the threat of
wildfires and knowledge of lifesaving tactics;
Whereas Wildfire Preparedness Week, like other designated weeks or days for
natural disasters, promotes educational initiatives, encourages
community programming, and increases overall knowledge and preparedness;
Whereas Wildfire Preparedness Week aligns with the State of California and
President Biden's suppression efforts through resource management and
bolsters the economy by creating a more permanent firefighting
workforce;
Whereas firefighters are on the frontlines and are at an increased risk of
developing cancer and respiratory diseases because they are exposed to
smoke and hazardous chemicals in the line of duty;
Whereas, in 2020, wildfires burned more than 4 million acres across California,
over 1 million acres in Oregon, and over 840,000 acres in Washington;
Whereas nearly 85 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by
humans;
Whereas from January 1, 2021, through July 14, 2021, there have been over 4,000
fires and over 142,000 acres burned in the United States;
Whereas the wildfire season in California increases every year in length and
frequency of fires; and
Whereas preventative measures exist to help individuals and communities increase
their fire resilience through--
(1) evacuation planning;
(2) vegetation and forest management; and
(3) limited use of combustibles during high heat or drier seasons,
including fireworks, exhaust, and open flames: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals of Wildfire Preparedness Week;
(2) supports resources and educational initiatives that
communicate how affected communities can prevent wildfires and
react during a wildfire; and
(3) encourages increased awareness of and preparedness for
the threat of wildfires and subsequent suppression efforts.
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