David Valadao: “I urge my colleagues to support the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025, which would dramatically…”

“I urge my colleagues to support the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025, which would dramatically increase the number of airlift assets available for wildfire emergencies. Containerized Aerial Firefighting Systems, or CAFFS, are airdrop- capable disposable containers for water or fire retardant, which can be dropped from much higher altitudes and with less visibility than current aerial firefighting operations. Current operations depend on single-mission aircraft, but CAFFS can be used by any standard cargo plane. The use of CAFFS provides for more coverage for firefighters on the ground and allows teams to quickly respond to prevent smaller fires from raging out of control. These systems are used by other countries, but the United States has not utilized them. We have the technology that we can deploy to stop or minimize the devastation these fires cause, and we should be using it. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Westerman and his staff at the Committee on Natural Resources for their work on this important bill to combat and contain wildfires in a quicker and more efficient way.”