Opinion: On This We Can Agree: Let’s Stop Wildfires

Letter-to-the-Editor Submitted by U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT)
WASHINGTON —In a letter responding to the Wall Street Journal editorial, “ Trump and Bernie, Political Smokejumpers ,” U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) argued that while the editorial correctly identifies American forest management failures, it overlooks the bipartisan legislative solutions already moving through Congress, including the Senator’s Fix Our Forests Act and Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act .
“We have neglected active forest management for far too long. Both parties share this blame. . . . But while you rightly criticize recent political finger-pointing, you fail to mention that bipartisan, turnkey solutions exist in this Congress,” Senator Curtis wrote.
“Cleaner air begins with better-managed forests. The support for these solutions proves that isn’t a Republican or a Democratic idea—it’s common sense. Yet, by our own doing, Washington is suffocating in the consequences of our own inaction,” the piece concludes.
Read the full letter to the editor here , and the original editorial here .
Background:
Utah fire seasons typically begin in July and end in October. Not even through the first month of the 2026 fire season, Utah has alreadyexperienced 651 total wildfires with over 380,000 acres burned in 2026—more than the past three years combined.
Senator Curtis has made wildfire prevention and forest resilience a central legislative priority, championing bipartisan solutions that focus on reducing catastrophic wildfire risk before fires start. As a lead sponsor of the Fix Our Forests Act , Curtis is working to accelerate hazardous fuels reduction, improve forest management, streamline permitting for high-priority projects, and strengthen coordination among federal, state, tribal, and local partners. The bill passed the House and has broad bipartisan support in the Senate. Curtis has also co-led the bipartisan Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act , which removes regulatory barriers to the use of prescribed burns—one of the most effective tools for preventing catastrophic wildfires—while ensuring states are not penalized for taking proactive forest management actions.