Climate Politics
Extreme Heat, Smoke Should Get US Disaster Label, Groups Say
- Labor, health groups seek FEMA ‘major disaster’ classification
- Move could help fund efforts to protect workers from heat
The Statue of Liberty shrouded in smoke from Canada wildfires in New York on June 7, 2023. A new petition seeks to formally classify extreme heat and wildfire smoke in the US as major disasters.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Activists are petitioning the US government to formally classify extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters, as soaring temperatures threaten to set records across much of the country.
In a petition filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they seek to unlock new funding to help communities address such events before they strike, with money for air filters that strip out smoke and rooftop solar systems that can supply electricity when demand overwhelms power grids.