With rising concerns over the California fuel shortages, California GOP lawmakers, including Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, have sent letters highlighting the dangers. 

Garcia and fellow congress members sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack outlining their concerns over the effect of the shortage, especially in light of the approaching wildfire season.

This was the main concern of the letter, that the fuel shortage could impact what is slated to be a record-breaking wildfire year. The shortage in jet fuel could pose a great risk to fire-fighting efforts according to the lawmakers.

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The possible increased risk to removed communities, rural areas, and hundreds of thousands of acres of land is cause for concern, said the letters. 

“This is an unacceptable risk for our communities and represents a dangerous and vulnerable posture that is potentially catastrophic for lives, homes, property, public lands and millions of people throughout the western United States and one that needs your immediate attention,” the lawmakers wrote. 

As for the question of how this shortage came about, the lawmakers hold the Biden administration responsible. The congress members say that the current administration’s determination to use less fossil fuels has resulted in an immediate spike in wildfire danger to the people of California and across the country. 

“As we head into the warmest months of the year, it is imperative that we are ready to act should a wildfire break out. This requires providing our brave, front-line responders with the fuel necessary to take flight to combat wildfires. We must act now to allocate this fuel so that additional lives are not lost as a result,” said Garcia. 

The goal of the letter is to encourage and demand a series of updates on fuel availability, distribution, and emergency action plans. 

In addition to this call to action, Garcia has also recently introduced a bill to improve forest management and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, which can be found here. 

To read the letter the lawmakers penned, click here. 

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