Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025

This bill builds a stronger, easier-to-use wildfire forecast and warning system at NOAA. It creates a coordinated fire weather program to improve tracking of wildfire risk, smoke, and post-fire flooding, and to share clear alerts with the public and responders. The program will upgrade models and data (including satellites, ground sensors, and other tools), set up a “testbed” to try new tech, and put more information online for everyone to use. It also sets up an Incident Meteorologist Service to send trained weather experts to major fires and other dangerous events to help on the ground before, during, and after emergencies. Rural and remote communities are a priority for equal access to forecasts and warnings. Agencies must work together and avoid duplicating efforts, and the Government Accountability Office will review progress. Funding rises from $15 million in FY2026 to $50 million in FY2030 to carry this out .

For workers on the front lines, the bill temporarily lifts certain overtime pay caps in 2025 for federal wildland firefighters, fire managers, and the incident meteorologists who accompany them. Agencies must also make a plan by 2026 to have enough trained staff so they won’t need future pay-cap waivers, and maintain policies that support employee health and safety .

• Who is affected: People in wildfire-prone areas, especially rural and remote communities; federal, state, Tribal, and local responders; wildland firefighters; and weather staff who support fire response .
• What changes: Better fire and smoke forecasting, clearer warnings, a field-tested pipeline for new tools (including drones), on-site weather support at major incidents, and upgrades to weather stations and data systems; plus coordination across agencies and public access to results .
• When: Agency plans and coordination processes due within about 18 months; GAO reviews within 1–4 years; pay cap waiver applies in 2025; funding runs FY2026–FY2030 .