FIRE Act
Sponsored by Gabe Evans
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Apr 27, 2026
The FIRE Act modifies how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines and handles exceptional events under the Clean Air Act. It allows states to exclude air quality data caused by exceptional events from violations of national air quality standards, and expands the definition to include human-caused events designed to mimic natural occurrences and certain weather conditions previously excluded. The bill requires the EPA to update its regulations for reviewing air quality data affected by wildfire mitigation actions and to conduct regional analysis when multiple states petition regarding the same exceptional event or mitigation action.
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Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act or the FIRE Act This bill modifies the definition of exceptional events under the Clean Air Act and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise its regulations regarding exceptional events or actions to mitigate wildfire risk. Generally, the EPA must exclude data from use in determinations of exceedances and violations of national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) if a state demonstrates that an exceptional event caused a specific air pollution concentration. The bill provides that events caused by human activity that are intended to mirror the occurrence or reoccurrence of a natural event are exceptional events. Additionally, the bill no longer excludes from consideration as an exceptional event (1) meteorological events involving high temperatures or a lack of precipitation, or (2) stagnation of air masses that does not ordinarily occur. The bill requires the EPA to revise regulations regarding the reviewing and handling of air quality monitoring data influenced by actions to mitigate wildfire risk. The bill also requires the EPA to conduct regional modeling and analysis when multiple states submit petitions regarding the same exceptional event or action to mitigate wildfire risk.