Senate Signs Off on Pair of Bills to Bolster Colorado’s Wildfire Response, Enhance Public Safety

Bills would provide resources to investigate the origins of wildfires, create firefighter workforce development program

DENVER, CO – The Colorado Senate today signed off on a pair of bills that will bolster and improve Colorado’s wildfire response and create a firefighter workforce development program to quickly get more trained firefighters into the field.

SB23-013, sponsored by Senator Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, would create a wildfire investigation fund and provide $3 million to help investigate the causes and origins of wildfires. The bill also requires the Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to report on fire investigations to the Wildfire Matters Review Committee.

“Fire season is no longer confined to a few months – it’s a year-round threat,” Ginal said. “It’s essential that we act now to prepare for and mitigate future wildfire disasters. By creating a new reporting protocol and a wildfire investigation fund, we are providing local fire departments with the tools they need to better understand the origins of fires, which will better protect our communities and enhance public safety across Colorado.”

The Director of DFPC would report annually to the Wildfire Matters Review Committee regarding the current magnitude of the state’s wildfire situation, including the number of wildfire investigations and their statuses, the status of prescribed burns, available resources, and more. 

Additionally, the fire investigation fund would provide support to local fire departments investigating the cause and origin of fires.

SB23-005, sponsored by Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, would improve Colorado’s forestry workforce by directing the Colorado State Forest Service to develop educational materials on career opportunities in the industry and create a workforce development program in the State Forest Service.

“For the past several years we’ve experienced the devastating impacts of wildfires in our state, impacting our lives, homes, health, watersheds and economy,” Cutter said. “The increase in frequency and intensity is a direct result of escalating climate change. We’ve done good work over the past several years to provide resources for mitigation and suppression, but resources don’t mean much without the workforce to deploy them. This bill will support programs to quickly get a trained workforce in the field.”

“Over the past few years wildfire season has evolved into a year-round threat, but right now we don’t have the workforce needed to keep us safe,” Jaquez Lewis said. “This bill will improve pathways to critical jobs and help Colorado communities stay safe by training more firefighters who will protect our people and our property from increasingly dangerous wildfires.”

The bill will also bolster the state’s wildfire mitigation capacity development fund and create and expand forestry programs at state colleges. Finally, the bill will work to increase the number of qualified educators at colleges that deliver a wildfire prevention and mitigation program or course.

Both SB23-005 and SB23-013 were developed and recommended by the interim Wildfire Matters Review Committee. 

Both bills will now move to consideration before the House. Track SB23-005’s progress HERE, and track SB23-013’s progress HERE.