Murray & Schrier Visit Washington State Fire Training Academy, Affirm Commitment to Invest in Wildfire Prevention and Response

Murray : “When we invest in fire preparedness, we save lives and communities. I will not stop pushing back hard for Washington state, our public lands, and for wildfire preparedness, prevention, and safety.” ***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE *** North Bend, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) met with leaders and firefighters from Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Patrol at the Washington State Fire Training Academy, to tour their facilities and hear about what additional federal resources and policies could better support on-the-ground efforts to prevent and respond to wildfires and structural fires. The lawmakers were joined by: Dave Upthegrove, Commissioner of Public Lands at Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR); Chad Cross, State Fire Marshal; Chief John R. Batiste, Washington State Patrol (WSP); and leaders from the Washington State Fire Academy, law enforcement, and DNR. “Washington state just suffered one of the worst wildfire seasons in history. That’s why I came here to listen to the people who managed these fires and understand what they need to continue this vital work. And we are hearing more and more now that wildfire season is year-round—so we need to be preparing for it that way as well,” said Senator Murray. “Now we aren’t just facing more environmental threats that worsen wildfires, we are also facing a President who has severely weakened the Forest Service and other critical agencies—from pushing out thousands of critical staff, blocking funding for crucial programs, and chaotically changing rules and procedures on a dime—Trump has left us worse off and less prepared to prevent future wildfires. But I am fighting back, tearing up his budget, and making sure we protect funding for the Forest Service and USDA so they can continue doing the hard work to prevent and fight wildfires. When we invest in fire preparedness, we save lives and communities. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Patrol do incredible work to keep people safe. For my part, I will not stop pushing back hard for Washington state, our public lands, and for wildfire preparedness, prevention, and safety.” “Communities in the Eighth District and across Washington state are reeling from the damage of this season’s devastating wildfires that threatened lives, property, and businesses,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “I was grateful to join Senator Murray and local leaders today to thank our first responders and discuss the federal resources our state needs to recover from and prevent catastrophic fires. In Congress, I’ll keep supporting our firefighters, bolstering local response efforts, and expanding fire prevention.” “I appreciate Senator Murray visiting DNR’s fire academy to highlight the need for more investment and resources to help us prepare for and tackle wildfires,” said Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. “The Federal government is a crucial partner, and I look forward to supporting Senator Murray as she fights to ensure critical agencies like the US Forest Service have the funding they need to join DNR in supporting communities, improving forest health, and responding to wildfires.” Supporting investments in wildfire prevention and response continues to be a top priority for Senator Murray, particularly as she negotiates this year’s government funding bills. Murray has been outspoken against the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine much of the federal workforce that supports wildfire prevention and response work year-round. As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in the Interior and Environment appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which Senator Murray negotiated and helped pass into law, Murray worked to include essential investments in wildfire preparedness and suppression. In FY26, she secured $6.13 billion for the U.S. Forest Service, with separate additional funding for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve. The bill rejected the steep $1.4 billion cut to the Forest Service’s non-fire budget proposed by President Trump and provides funding for the Forest Service to improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts on federal lands. The FY26 bill also fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund and continues to support the increased pay for federal firefighters enacted into law last year. Senator Murray continues to push back against Trump’s FY27 budget request , to protect our public lands. Yesterday , Senator Murray visited the Confederated Colville Tribes to hear their concerns following wildfire season and discuss next steps of recovery after the August wildfires devastated the community. In August, following the devastating Spokane Complex Fires, Senator Murray visited families, first responders, and community leaders in Spokane to hear about the ongoing debris clean up and recovery efforts, and witness firsthand the state of local communities that were hit hard. Senator Murray also led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in letters to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s requests for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance . ###