Trump moves to merge wildland firefighting into single force, despite ex-officials warning of chaos [View all]
Source: AP
Updated 8:01 PM EDT, June 12, 2025
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered government officials to consolidate wildland firefighting into a single program, despite warnings from former federal officials that it could be costly and increase the risk of catastrophic blazes. The order aims to centralize firefighting efforts now split among five agencies and two Cabinet departments.
Trump’s proposed budget for next year calls for the creation of a new Federal Wildland Fire Service under the U.S. Interior Department. That would mean shifting thousands of personnel from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service — where most federal firefighters now work — with fire season already underway. The administration has not disclosed how much the change could cost or save.
Trump in Thursday’s order cited the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January as highlighting a need for a quicker response to wildfires. “Wildfires threaten every region, yet many local government entities continue to disregard commonsense preventive measures,” the order said.
The Trump administration in its first months temporarily cut off money for wildfire prevention work and reduced the ranks of federal government firefighters through layoffs and retirement.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildland-firefighting-trump-administration-d4b356433e91c1d90805c0d39012e745
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