WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the bipartisan Wildfire Response and Preparedness (WRAP) Act to establish a 30-minute national standard response time to any wildfire occurring on federal land administered by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior. 

“As New Jerseyans and people across our country experience worsening devastation from wildfires due to climate change, a more aggressive response time can be a lifesaving tool for them and our first responders,” said Senator Kim. “With this bill, we are able to expand on the success of standards for structure fires and put our best foot forward in protecting communities from the threat of wildfires.” 

“Establishing an aggressive national wildfire standard response time, just like we have for structure fires, is an America First, commonsense way to protect our nation and our people. The WRAP Act will help our brave firefighters put out wildfires while they are small and dramatically reduce catastrophic wildfire damage. This bill will save lives and prevent hundreds of billions of dollars in future property damage,” said Senator Sheehy. 

In 2024 alone over 64,800 wildfires occurred across the country, burning nearly 9 million acres. That’s up from 56,500 fires in 2023 that burned 3 million acres. New Jersey’s Forest Fire Service reported that in 2024 they responded to over 1,400 wildfires burning in excess of 11,000 acres across the Garden State. These fires threaten the state’s woodlands and nearby homes. 

Currently, the National Fire Protection Association sets the standard for structure fire response at five minutes and 20 seconds, which reduced civilian deaths by 70 percent, but there is no similar standard for wildfire suppression, letting wildfires burn for days without suppression and increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. To fix this and protect lives and property, the bipartisan WRAP Act would require the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to establish a national standard response time of no more than 30 minutes to the extent practical to a wildland fire occurring on federal land that they administer.  

Read the full bill text HERE. 

Senator Kim is a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Kim represented New Jersey’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House and was a career public servant working in national security and diplomacy at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon. Learn more about Senator Kim’s service on behalf of New Jersey here.  

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