Castaic, CA – On Wednesday, September 9th, Congressman Mike Garcia of California's 25th District hosted the USDA Natural Resources and Environment Under Secretary, James Hubbard, at the command center for the Lake Fire with State Senator Scott Wilk and Representatives from the United States Forest Service, LA County Fire, Supervisor Kathryn Barger's Office, and Assemblyman Tom Lackey's Office.

As we enter the heart of wildfire season, the focus of the roundtable was to advance the alignment between all levels of government to ensure we are getting the right resources to the right battlefronts in a timely fashion for the 25th District

Under Secretary Hubbard discussed the recent fires in California and praised local, state, and federal leaders and firefighting teams for their successful efforts to work jointly. "We are seeing unprecedented fire activity in California and across the West," said Under Secretary Hubbard. "Congressman Garcia clearly understands we must all work together to tackle these natural disasters. I appreciate Congressman Garcia's leadership, his support for the firefighting community, and his invitation to discuss this critical national issue with leaders from the Forest Service, CalFire, and LA County."

Congressman Garcia highlighted that in California, specifically the 25th district, brush clearance, controlled burns, and more fixed-wing assets earlier in these fights are needed to achieve efficacy in fire suppression in California.

"We need to fight these fires like warriors; as one team and with overwhelming force," said Congressman Garcia. "We need more brush clearance, more prescribed burns, and more large aerial tankers overhead sooner in the fight. All levels of government need to do everything they can to ensure our firefighting agencies get the resources they need."

This wildfire roundtable was a significant opportunity to discuss what is needed in California's 25th district to achieve complete fire suppression efficacy. Congressman Garcia shared his plans to host more events like the Wildfire Roundtable on a regular basis.

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