Representative Gabe Evans announced on Apr. 22 that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed his bipartisan Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act, H.R. 6387. The legislation aims to address what Evans describes as unfair air quality regulations tied to emissions beyond states’ control, such as wildfire smoke and prescribed burns.
The bill is intended to prevent job creators and consumers from being penalized for emissions outside their influence while maintaining environmental standards and public health protections. According to Evans, the act will bring clarity and predictability to air quality planning, reduce regulatory burdens on manufacturers and communities, and encourage proactive wildfire mitigation efforts.
“For years, Colorado’s economy has been burdened by costly, poorly designed regulations that punish small businesses, employers, and families for emissions they can’t control — raising costs, stifling job growth, and making it harder for communities to thrive,” Evans said. “The FIRE Act is a commonsense solution that lowers costs, slashes red tape, restores fairness, incentivizes wildfire mitigation, and prioritizes practical preventative steps that protect public health while improving air quality.”
The legislation comes in response to longstanding challenges along Colorado’s Front Range in meeting federal ozone attainment levels set by the Clean Air Act. Regulatory measures have included reformulated gasoline mandates which can increase fuel prices without significant improvements in ozone reduction. Only about 29% of the region’s ozone pollution is attributed to human activity; the remainder comes from sources like wildfires or international pollution.
Stakeholder organizations have expressed support for the bill. Jack Waldorf of the Western Governors Association said: “Western Governors thank Representatives Evans and Gray for their bipartisan legislation that removes regulatory barriers to wildfire risk reduction… The Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act streamlines the exceptional events process…” Duane Highley of Tri-State Generation added: “This legislation ensures states can protect communities from catastrophic wildfires without being penalized for temporary air quality impacts.”
Additional endorsements came from groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Colorado Petroleum Association; Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association; Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association; Club 20; Competitive Enterprise Institute; American Cement Association; Colorado Ready Mix Concrete Association; Colorado Oil & Gas Association; National Association of Manufacturers; Action Colorado; and others.
Looking ahead, supporters say passage of this measure could lower costs for families while giving states more flexibility in managing air quality issues related to natural events.
