WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that his Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025, legislation to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire, has been signed into law. Heinrich announced passage of the bill in the U.S. Senate in April.
This comes on the heels of Heinrich’s recent announcement that he successfully secured the continued operation of the Interagency Dispatch Centers in Albuquerque and Silver City, which help get resources – like airtankers from Kirtland Air Force Base — to where they’re needed to help protect New Mexicans during wildfires, floods, and other emergencies.
“I’m pleased that my Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is now law,” said Heinrich. “This legislation is urgently needed to expand the operations of Very Large Air Tankers that have proven absolutely essential to firefighters battling large wildfires in New Mexico and across the West. I will never stop fighting to deliver the resources that our communities need to effectively respond to wildfires.”
The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of excess aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression. The 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’s authority 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 retardant 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.
The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is led by Heinrich in the Senate and U.S. Representative Gabe Vaquez (D-N.M.) in the House. This is the first bill passed by Vasquez in the House this Congress. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).
Alongside Heinrich and Vasquez, the legislation is led by U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and U.S. Representatives Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.). Alongside Luján and Stansbury, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).
"10 Tanker Air Carrier supports and thanks the bipartisan efforts of Sen. Heinrich and Sen. Sheehy 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. This commonsense approach will ensure that our aging fleet will remain available to the United States to battle the devastating wildland fires of today and well into the future. We are pleased that the Department of Defense and the Air Force also support the national security mission of companies like ours,” said Joel Kerley, President and CEO of 10 Tanker Air Carrier.
"Firehawk Helicopters is encouraged by the passing of the Aerial Firefighting and Enhancement Act and would like to thank Rep. Newhouse, Rep. Carbajal, Sen. Tim Sheehy and Sen. Martin Heinrich for leading the efforts in seeing this bill passed. Since 20017 the aerial firefighting community has lost access to a critical aircraft and parts supply source. Taxpayers have lost hundreds of millions of dollars as valuable aircraft and aircraft parts were no longer made available for commercial sale. The law will save these critical aircraft and parts from being scrapped. By making these aircraft and parts available for commercial sale again, the taxpayers will reap the maximum return on their original investment, but more importantly, see these aircraft and parts utilized in a second life that prioritizes the protection of the public from the growing threat of devastating wildfires,” said Bart Brainerd, CEO Firehawk Helicopters.
Read more on the bill here.
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