Biden Pledges Wildfire Aid, Firefighter Raises to Western States
- President met virtually with governors from Western states
- Record heat fuels risk of wildfires, drought, power failures
Firefighters work to contain a brush fire along Tehachapi Willow Springs Road in Tehachapi, California, on April 6.
Photographer: Kyle Grillot/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
President Joe Biden said he would increase pay for federal firefighters and deploy government satellites to detect blazes as he met Wednesday with governors from Western states facing another summer of unquenchable wildfires, drought and massive power failures.
“The truth is, we’re playing catch-up,” Biden told government and utility leaders at a virtual event hosted by the White House. “This is an area that has been under-resourced.”