Padilla, Curtis, and Bipartisan Group of 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans Introduce Bill to Strengthen Rural Water Infrastructure and Wildfire Readiness

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and John Curtis (R-Utah), members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, introduced the FIRE SMART Act, bipartisan legislation to expand funding eligibility for projects with fire suppression benefits in high-risk rural areas. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the bill.

Specifically, this bill would help build rural communities' resiliency by optimizing water infrastructure to provide the flow necessary for emergency responders to save lives and property during an active wildfire. The legislation would amend the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to expand eligibility for water infrastructure projects that have both drinking water and wildfire suppression benefits, and are in communities at high risk for wildfires with fewer than 50,000 residents.

The 2021 Caldor Fire proved this strategy works when combined with strategic fuel reduction and fire-adapted community practices. Neighborhoods like Christmas Valley in Lake Tahoe that used this three-part defense strategy survived. Tahoe Water for Fire's Caldor Fire Story details this success.

"While we've made progress in wildfire mitigation and prevention, too many rural communities still lack the water infrastructure needed to effectively respond when disaster strikes," said Senator Padilla. "The FIRE SMART Act changes that reality by strengthening water systems and giving rural communities the tools they need to keep homes and families safe. While we can't predict when wildfires will strike, this commonsense legislation will help ensure rural communities are better prepared when they do."

"As wildfires continue to threaten Utah and the West, rural communities need access to the tools and infrastructure necessary to protect lives and property," said Senator Curtis. "This bipartisan legislation makes targeted, commonsense reforms to allow certain drinking water projects that also strengthen wildfire resilience to qualify for federal support. By helping small, high-risk communities upgrade critical water infrastructure, we can improve public safety while maintaining the core mission of providing reliable drinking water."

The FIRE SMART Act is endorsed by several organizations, including the Tahoe Water for Fire Partnership, National Special Districts Association, National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials, Arizona Special Districts Alliance, Montana Fire Trustees Association, and Family Farm Alliance. Inyo and Mono Counties also support this bipartisan bill.

"The Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership commends Senators Padilla and Curtis for introducing the FIRE SMART Act of 2026 and for their dedication to protecting rural communities from catastrophic wildfire," said the Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership. "We strongly support this legislation, which modernizes the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to allow rural communities at high risk from wildfire to improve fire flow capacity while maintaining safe drinking water standards."

"The National Special Districts Association strongly supports the FIRE SMART Act to strengthen water infrastructure in communities at high risk of wildfire," said the National Special Districts Association (NSDA). "With more than 10,000 special districts nationwide providing fire protection and/or drinking water services, federal investments in water infrastructure-including projects that support fire suppression-are critical to ensuring community safety and resilience. By providing targeted flexibility within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), this legislation will help local agencies, particularly in rural and high-risk areas, invest in projects that deliver both safe drinking water and reliable fire suppression capacity. NSDA looks forward to working with Congress to advance this practical, locally driven approach to protecting lives, property, and essential water systems."

"Rural and volunteer fire departments are on the front lines of the wildfire crisis, yet far too often they are asked to do more with less," said Marvin Hill, Vice President of the National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials. "The FIRE SMART Actis a critical step toward ensuring these departments have the infrastructure and resources needed to protect their communities safely and effectively. The National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials (NAEFO) supports FIRE SMART's comprehensive approach to wildfire resilience-one that pairs fuel reduction with critical investments in local firefighting infrastructure. Rural and exurban fire districts are on the front lines of a growing wildfire crisis, yet they face systemic infrastructure gaps that must be addressed to ensure effective response and community protection."

"Special districts providing critical fire protection and water resources in Arizona's rural, wildland-urban interface communities have long-faced increasing fire risk with regulatory barriers preventing existing programs from assisting with adequate fire suppression needs," said Carol Shrock, Arizona Special Districts Association President. "The FIRE SMART Act is a solution to provide flexibility for small, fire-prone communities to access Drinking Water State Revolving Fund resources to meet local water-for-fire infrastructure demands while advancing the program's environmental and public health goals. The Arizona Special Districts Association supports the FIRE SMART Act as a tool for rural special districts to enhance their community services and safety, and we applaud Senators Alex Padilla and John Curtis for their leadership for rural, WUI communities."

"The Montana Fire Trustees Association strongly supports the Fire Smart Act of 2026," said Bruce Suenram, Montana Fire Trustees Association Secretary/Treasurer. "This act would enable many of Montana's fire districts and fire service areas to improve water infrastructure for fire suppression in the rural areas we serve. Many of our members provide fire protection in communities which are a high risk for wildfires."

"The Family Farm Alliance applauds Senators Padilla and Curtis for introducing the FIRE SMART Act of 2026 and advancing practical solutions to help rural communities prepare for increasingly severe wildfire conditions. Across the West, farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and rural water providers depend on reliable water infrastructure to protect both communities and agricultural operations. By allowing investments that improve fire flow capacity through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, this legislation helps ensure that rural areas have the tools they need to respond to wildfire threats while maintaining safe drinking water in rural communities. The Alliance strongly supports this commonsense approach to strengthening community resilience and protecting the people, rural economies, and natural resources that sustain the West," said Samantha Barncastle, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance.

"As Chair of the Inyo County Board of Supervisors and Chair Pro-Tem of the Mono County Board of Supervisors, we are pleased to support the FIRE SMART Act of 2026 introduced by Senator Padilla and Senator Curtis," said the Inyo County and Mono County Boards of Supervisors. "This bipartisan legislation will make it possible for rural and frontier communities like those in Inyo and Mono Counties to fund critical wildfire protection projects through existing federal funding sources. By amending the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, communities will be expressly allowed to fund fire flow capacity projects and water system modernization projects. The tailored changes this bill makes to allow these specific investments can make the difference between a family keeping their home and belongings or losing everything, including their lives. Inyo and Mono Counties applaud Senator Padilla and Senator Curtis for their efforts to ensure our most isolated communities can protect themselves when they need it most."

Padilla has consistently advocated for strong federal investments in California's water infrastructure and fire suppression readiness.Last month, Padilla slammed U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on President Trump's Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, which would eliminate funding for state and local fire assistance programs and undermine hazardous fuels reduction efforts. Last year, Padilla, alongside Senators John Curtis (R-Utah), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), introduced the Senate version of the Fix Our Forests Act, bipartisan legislation to combat catastrophic wildfires, restore forest ecosystems, and make federal forest management more efficient and responsive. The Senate advanced the bill out of committee in October. Padilla also introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. In 2024, Padilla announced $159 million in transformational investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for three large-scale water recycling projects in Southern California. Additionally, he and Representative Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50) introduced legislation to help alleviate the Western water crisis caused by long-term drought by allowing federal government loans to take on a greater share of the rising cost of water infrastructure projects.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Full bill summary is available here.

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