A US bill aimed at improving officials’ understanding of wildfires in ecosystems dominated by small plants recently cleared its first congressional hurdle.

The Building Resiliency and Understanding of Shrublands to Halt Fires Act, or BRUSH Fires Act, was introduced by California Rep. Dave Min and seeks to modernize federal wildfire prevention policy, particularly in shrub-dominated regions.

The number of homes destroyed by wildfires has doubled over the past 30 years, with the majority of burned homes near shrublands rather than forests, according to a previous study led by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers. While crown fires in forests have the highest fire intensity and can ignite homes far from a fire front, shrubland fires can easily spread rapidly during strong winds, threatening more homes faster. Fuels in shrublands also recover faster than in forests, meaning areas can reburn within a few years and lessen the impact of infrequent prescribed burning.

Min said his Bill seeks to address that disparity and unseat forests as the main focus of wildfires. The bill specifically requires the Forest Service to conduct a study on its current wildfire mitigation effectiveness in shrublands, including hazardous fuels management, limiting ember ignitions of structures, and administrative factors that impede wildland fire operations. A report on the study must be made publicly available 90 days after it is complete.

“Right now, federal wildfire policy too often treats all fires the same, even as many communities, particularly in Southern California, are increasingly threatened by fast-moving brushfires in chaparral landscapes rather than traditional forest fires,” Min said in a press release. “The bill fills a critical need to reassess prevention strategies for shrubland ecosystems, identify best practices, and ensure that land managers and local fire officials have access to clear science-based guidance.”

This Bill, according to Min, has the support of California fire chiefs and leaders across the fire management community, including The Nature Conservancy, California Fire Chiefs Association, California Chaparral Institute, Endangered Habitats League, and Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 

Click here to read the full bill’s text.