Mill Creek mayor says Infrastructure Act will fund wildfire response upgrades

Mill Creek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said the Infrastructure Act will enable the city to work with the U.S. Forest Service to build firefighting capability in the nearby Wasatch Range, including a parking area for firefighters, a helipad and equipment to move water more effectively for suppression efforts.

"Through the Infrastructure Act, basically, we're protecting our community along the urban wildlife interface, which benefits all of us," Silvestrini said, urging that the work will improve local response capacity after a recent history of wildfire threats.

Silvestrini cited a 2020 wildland fire caused by lightning that threatened the community as the key reason for the upgrades. He described the planned work as operational improvements for firefighters rather than a change to land use or public access.

The mayor listed specific upgrades he said the city will pursue: improving a parking lot to stage firefighting crews, installing a helipad to support aerial operations, and adding equipment to use water more effectively in fire suppression (the transcript records the word "pumpkin," which the mayor intended as a reference to pump or pumping equipment for water delivery).

Silvestrini did not specify funding amounts, grant details or a construction timetable in his remarks. He said the Infrastructure Act provides the enabling authority and that the city will coordinate with the U.S. Forest Service on implementation and next steps.