Newhouse Leads Bipartisan Effort to Expand Wildland Firefighter Aerial Fleet

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 to boost aerial wildfire suppression and combat fire threats using excess military aircraft and parts. 

“As wildfires continue to ravage our communities every year, this bipartisan legislation delivers major new assets to our fire suppression fleets for year-round management efforts,” said Rep. Newhouse. 

Newhouse adds, “Our firefighters need all the help they can get, and allowing the sale of the Department of Defense’s excess aircraft responsibly leverages the assets we have for public safety and fire management. I thank Reps. Ellzey, Carbajal, and Vasquez for joining me in this effort.” 

Rep. Newhouse was joined by Reps. Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) in introducing the legislation. 

“The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act restores a proven solution that works,” Rep. Ellzey said. “This is about efficiency—cutting through red tape to ensure our resources are used effectively. When fires break out, response time is critical, and this bill helps ensure our aerial firefighting fleet is well-equipped and ready to go.”

Rep. Carbajal said, “As Southern California recovers from a devastating cluster of wildfires, I’m committed in Congress to implementing the policy solutions needed to improve our response to these devastating disasters on a bipartisan basis. I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense bill to strengthen the fleet of aircraft we have available to battle these blazes and ensure our first responders have all the air support they can get when defending our communities.”

“New Mexico knows firsthand the devastation wildfires bring to our communities, and we must ensure our firefighters have every tool available to protect lives and property,” said Rep.Vasquez“This legislation is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that strengthens our wildfire response capabilities. This bill is not only essential for improving wildfire suppression nationwide, but it also supports Albuquerque-based 10 Tanker, a leader in aerial firefighting. I will continue fighting for the resources our communities need to stay safe.”

The legislation is supported by stakeholder organizations including Billings Flying Service, 10 Tanker Air Carrier, and Firehawk Helicopters. 

Bridger Blain, President of Billings Flying Service, said, “It is essential that the United States has a robust compliment of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft available to fight wildfires. We saw in Southern California earlier this year the remarkable success that aerial firefighting aircraft can have on putting out fires and saving lives and property. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 will ensure that there will be a sufficient supply of spare engines and aircraft parts to maintain our fleet so that we can partner with state and local governments to make our helicopters available to them when they are needed most.”

Joel Kerley, President and CEO of 10 Tanker Air Carrier, said, “10 Tanker Air Carrier supports and thanks the bipartisan efforts of Congressmen Newhouse, Carbajal, Vasquez and Ellzey to help the many operators involved with aerial firefighting to purchase at fair market value excess, retired military spare parts, particularly desperately needed engines and brakes. We are pleased that the Department of Defense and the Air Force also support the national security mission of companies like ours.”

Bart Brainerd, President of Firehawk Helicopters, said, “Firehawk Helicopters, Inc. strongly endorses the Aerial Fire Fighting Act of 2025. For too long we have seen valuable taxpayer-owned aircraft parts and material belonging to the DoD turned into scrap whose value is worth a fraction of the market value of the aircraft parts and material. Making these engines and spare parts available to the Aerial Fire Fighting community in the US will help support the protection of the public and public lands. While these parts and material may be excess or no longer required to support the DoD’s missions, they could serve in the Aerial Fire Fighting for years and years to come in continued service of the public.”

Background:

The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression.

This bipartisan bill will help the U.S. better suppress wildfires year-round by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts will help the U.S. maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.

The bill reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts, which are acceptable for commercial sale, to persons or entities that contract with the government for the delivery of fire retardants or water by air to suppress wildfires, as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. The initial authority expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again. 

Full bill text here

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