Bynum’s Bipartisan Bill to Support Wildland Firefighters Passes Committee

Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Congressmen Eli Crane (AZ-02), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06)'s bipartisan bill, the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act, passed through committee without opposition, making it one step closer to becoming law.This bill supports wildfire response operations by addressing the impact of unauthorized drones flying in restricted airspace during a wildfire.

When an unauthorized drone enters restricted airspace during a wildfire, fire response agencies are often required to ground their aircraft to avoid the risk of a collision. In Oregon and across the country, there have been several instances of this happening, including during the Flat Fires in 2025, which caused delays to wildfire response efforts.

The bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a study on the impact of drone incursions on wildfire suppression and explore available techniques to address unauthorized drone activity.

"Earlier this year, a drone delayed the aerial fire response to the Flat Fire in Central Oregon," said Rep Bynum. "That's why I introduced the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act to put the safety of our forests, our firefighters, and our airspaces over random drones in the sky. I'm proud that this bill to minimize wildfire response times is one step closer to becoming law. I'll keep working to get this done for Oregon's Fifth."

You can find a one-pager on the bill hereand the full text of it here.

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