To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.

This bill would require the Forest Service to use all available resources to extinguish wildfires within 24 hours of detection on lands experiencing extreme drought, high fire activity, or significant wildfire exposure. The proposal would prohibit the Forest Service from interfering with authorized state and local firefighting efforts and would restrict the use of backfires or burnouts to specific safety or command-ordered situations. Additionally, the bill would mandate the immediate suppression of any prescribed fire that exceeds its planned parameters.

This bill primarily affects the Forest Service, which is required to implement specific wildfire suppression and management protocols on designated lands. State and local agencies authorized to respond to wildfires are also affected, as the bill prohibits the Forest Service from inhibiting their firefighting activities. Additionally, incident commanders and firefighting personnel are impacted by new requirements regarding the initiation of backfires, burnouts, and the management of prescribed fires.

• Mandatory 24-hour wildfire suppression. Requires the Forest Service to use all available resources to extinguish wildfires within 24 hours of detection on lands meeting specific drought, fire activity, or wildfire exposure criteria.
• Coordination with state and local agencies. Prohibits the Forest Service from obstructing the firefighting efforts of state and local agencies authorized to respond to wildfires on Forest Service land.
• Restrictions on backfires and burnouts. Limits the initiation of backfires or burnouts to instances ordered by an incident commander or necessary for personnel safety, requiring all available resources to be used until such fires are extinguished.
• Prescribed fire management and suppression. Requires the Forest Service to comply with all applicable regulations when using prescribed fires and mandates the immediate suppression of any prescribed fire that exceeds its defined parameters.

The bill establishes new operational requirements for the Forest Service's existing wildfire suppression and management programs, including mandates for the use of prescribed fires in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The bill aims to mandate immediate and aggressive wildfire suppression by the Forest Service on high-risk lands, requiring the use of all available resources to extinguish fires within 24 hours of detection. It also seeks to regulate the use of backfires and prescribed burns while ensuring federal agencies do not interfere with authorized state and local firefighting efforts.