US Consolidates Wildland Firefighters
The U.S. Interior Department is moving to consolidate its wildland firefighter operations into a single agency. The move is intended to streamline response efforts and may have implications for interagency cooperation with municipal departments in the Pacific Northwest.
- The new U.S. Wildland Fire Service will initially only consolidate agencies within the Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Forest Service, which employs the majority of federal firefighters and is part of the Department of Agriculture, is not yet included in the merger. - This reorganization was initiated by a June 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump, with the new service intended to be operational by January 2026. Brian Fennessy, former chief of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, has been appointed to lead the new agency. - Congress has so far declined to fund the new consolidated agency, denying the administration's $6.5 billion request for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill. Lawmakers instead funded the existing agency structure and requested a feasibility study on the proposed merger. - Despite the lack of specific funding from Congress, the Department of the Interior is proceeding with an internal reorganization to create the new service. - Proponents aim to streamline decision-making and create a more efficient response to worsening wildfires. However, some firefighter advocacy groups and former federal officials have expressed concern that the restructuring could disrupt operations, increase risks during fire season, and shift focus away from fire prevention. - The consolidation effort comes as federal agencies face significant staffing challenges; in the three years prior to 2024, the U.S. Forest Service lost 45% of its permanent wildland firefighters. Low pay and poor work-life balance are frequently cited as major barriers to recruitment and retention. - Other planned reforms accompanying the consolidation include creating a joint federal firefighting aircraft service, standardizing contracting and payment systems, and developing a unified wildfire risk mapping tool.
