US EditionTrump Plans to Merge Wildland Firefighting Efforts Into One Agency, but Ex-Officials Warn of Chaos
- President Donald Trump's administration intends to consolidate the government's wildfire suppression responsibilities, currently distributed across multiple agencies and departments, into one Federal Wildland Fire Service within the Interior Department by 2025.
- The plan aims to consolidate firefighting responsibilities currently dispersed across multiple federal agencies and Cabinet-level departments into one entity, but some former officials caution that this restructuring could heighten fire hazards and create confusion during the active fire season.
- The move involves shifting thousands of personnel, mainly from the Forest Service, which lost over 1,600 firefighters amid prior layoffs and budget cuts while wildfires continue to burn millions of acres nationwide.
- Steve Ellis, a former wildfire incident commander, warned that introducing the change during fire season would increase risks and lead to significant confusion, emphasizing the dangers of separating firefighting responsibilities from land management.
- If implemented, this consolidation could disrupt current efforts focused on prevention and increase the likelihood of large catastrophic fires, suggesting significant long-term challenges for wildfire management.
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Trump Administration Proposes Massive Overhaul of U.S. Wildfire Response
President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to merge the government’s wildland firefighting efforts into a single agency, a move some former federal officials warn could increase the risk of catastrophic blazes and ultimately cost billions of dollars. Trump’s budget would centralize firefighting efforts now split among five agencies and two Cabinet departments into a single Federal Wildland Fire Service under the U.S. Interior Department. …
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Total News Sources32
Leaning Left5Leaning Right3Center17Last UpdatedBias Distribution68% Center
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
68% Center
L 20%
C 68%
12%
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