Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has joined a coalition of 10 attorneys general in petitioning the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to initiate rulemaking that would update its regulations. The proposed changes aim to recognize extreme heat and wildfire smoke events as eligible for major disaster declarations under the Stafford Act. Additionally, the petition seeks clarification that wildfire smoke events qualify for Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) funding.
In a letter addressed to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Chief Counsel Adrian Sevier, the attorneys general highlighted the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat and wildfire smoke events, attributing these trends partly to climate change. The letter outlines significant public health risks and financial burdens on local communities that may necessitate federal assistance.
“The climate change science is clear and overwhelming: our planet is getting hotter, wildfire seasons are getting longer and more destructive, and the resulting wildfire smoke is a real danger to public health. We need the federal government to keep up with the realities Oregonians face, and we need FEMA to have the jurisdiction to assist when we ask for help. I stand with my co-signers on this letter in urging FEMA to move quickly and amend its definition of ‘major disaster’ to include extreme heat and wildfire smoke events,” said AG Rosenblum.
The letter detailed significant impacts from recent extreme heat and wildfire smoke incidents, citing examples such as the 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Dome—which resulted in hundreds of deaths and widespread power outages—and Canadian wildfires that blanketed parts of the Midwest and East Coast in smoke. The attorneys general stressed the importance of proactive measures and federal support in mitigating these disasters' effects.
The correspondence emphasizes an urgent need for FEMA to amend its definition of “major disaster” explicitly to include extreme heat and wildfire smoke events. It also underscores FMAG funding's critical role in addressing health impacts from wildfire smoke by providing HEPA air filtration devices and other necessary supplies to vulnerable populations. Additionally, it highlights projections indicating an increase in frequency and severity of these events, stressing the necessity for a more robust federal response.