2018 Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County  Photo credit: Inciweb

A livestream of the hearing will be available here.

August 20, 2019 - Washington D.C. - On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Rep. Harley Rouda, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, and Rep. Katie Hill, the Vice Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, will hold a field hearing focused on government accountability and the environmental and health impact of wildfires in California.

WHERE: Council Chambers of Simi Valley City Hall
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063

WHEN: Tuesday, August 20, 2019

TIME: 10:00 a.m. PST

A livestream of the hearing will be available here.

PURPOSE & BACKGROUND

The 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons were the two deadliest wildfire seasons in U.S. history. Forecasters predict the potential for large-scale wildfires in 2019 to be higher-than-average in California and in other areas of the country.

This hearing will examine the status of recovery efforts from the 2017 and 2018 California wildfire seasons as well as the state and federal government’s preparation and response to the 2019 California wildfires. The hearing will also explore both state and federal government wildfire mitigation strategies and examine the health and environmental impacts of longer, more destructive wildfire seasons.

WITNESSES

Panel One

Robert Fenton
Region IX Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Randy Moore
Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region
USDA Forest Service

Mark Ghilarducci
Director
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Dan Johnson
Southern Region Chief
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection

Panel Two

Max Moritz, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension Wildfire Specialist
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
University of California, Santa Barbara

Afif El-Hasan, M.D.
Pediatrician
Kaiser Permanente, California

Brent Berkompas
Director of Governmental Affairs
Orange County Professional Firefighter Association

Lisl Spangenberg 
Affected Resident