SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Even though the October storms have eased concerns of major wildfires this season, California is still reeling from historically large and damaging fires in recent years.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D) is introducing a bill to help California prepare for the next fire and recover from past ones.

“Wildfires have become commonplace especially in the Western United States. So integrating the uniqueness of wildfires as disasters into FEMA policies… whether it’s prepositioning resources, because we can kind of predict when it’s hot and high winds, Red Flag Warning, let’s get ready because the odds are going up. Or even how we help families and communities recover,” Padilla said.

The senator even weighed in on the election results in Virginia, where constituents elected for the first time in 12 years a Republican governor.

He said elected officials need to earn their opportunities to serve in the next election by continuing to communicate with constituents.

“There’s going to be some studying about what happened in Virginia. It’s across the country… so as long as California representatives are talking to constituents and doing their best to represent them, that’s the best way to earn the opportunity to continue to serve,” Padilla said.

Watch the full interview above.