The bold federal plan to overhaul US wildland fire management
Iain Hoey
Share this content
Interior and agriculture launch coordinated wildland fire reforms
The US Departments of the Interior and Agriculture have announced the creation of the US Wildland Fire Service to modernise wildfire management across the country.
According to the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, the new service has been directed under Executive Order 14308, issued by President Donald Trump in June 2025, and will begin implementation in January 2026.
The Department of the Interior issued Secretary’s Order 3443 to establish the service, while the Department of Agriculture issued Secretarial Memorandum 1078-017 to strengthen the national wildfire system.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said: “For too long, outdated and fragmented systems have slowed our ability to fight fires and protect lives.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are cutting through the bureaucracy and building a unified, modern wildfire response system that works as fast and as fearlessly as the men and women on the front lines.”
He added: “By streamlining federal capabilities and strengthening our partnerships with state, tribal and local teams, we will deliver the common-sense reforms needed to safeguard our communities, our lands and our future.”
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said: “Time and time again, we have witnessed the devastating consequences of wildfires caused by mismanagement and a lack of preparedness.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking bold action to modernize wildfire response systems, streamline federal wildfire capabilities, and strengthen their effectiveness.”
Rollins added: “We started this work in the spring and have continually updated our policies and programs to properly manage our forests through common-sense timber production and management, protecting our national forests and grasslands for generations to come.”
She continued: “Secretary Burgum and I are committed to leading a bold transformation of the federal wildfire system to help our communities, neighbors, and partners better prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires.”
Meeting the national wildfire crisis
The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture reported that wildfires are costing the United States hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
They noted that wildfires damage infrastructure, disrupt agriculture, increase food prices and threaten lives and livelihoods.
The agencies stated that decades of insufficient forest management, including fuel build-up, invasive species and delayed treatments, have increased fire intensity.
It was explained that fire seasons are becoming longer and suppression costs are increasing, with risks also extending to public health, energy and water supply, and national security.
The Departments indicated that the US Wildland Fire Service will unify Interior’s fire bureaus and align operations with the Department of Agriculture, focusing on procurement, predictive services, research and policy reforms.
Strategic reform priorities
According to the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, the new service will focus on five key reform priorities.
The first priority is addressing inefficiencies in aviation and coordination, which includes creating a joint federal firefighting aircraft service and consolidating predictive services.
The second is strengthening interagency wildfire coordination, with steps such as modernising qualifications, training and the Emergency Firefighter Program.
The third is improving partnerships by streamlining cooperative agreements and creating a joint contracting and procurement centre.
The fourth is advancing research and technology, which includes building a modern IT system and updating firefighter protective equipment standards.
The fifth is integrating pre- and post-fire activities, which involves a new risk mapping tool, a consistent rehabilitation framework and expanding the use of biomass.
Details from the secretarial memorandum
Secretarial Memorandum 1078-017, issued by Secretary Brooke Rollins, stated that the USDA and DOI will consolidate key administrative functions and streamline the interagency response systemSM 1078-017.
The memorandum reported that the Forest Service will play a central role in modernising operations, contracting, training and predictive services, with deadlines ranging from 30 to 270 days for specific actions.
The USDA directed the Forest Service to restructure aviation operations, unify contracting processes and establish new governance structures with clear accountability.
The memorandum also instructed agencies to develop a unified Wildfire Enterprise IT architecture and update standards for firefighter protective equipment.
The directives further called for a unified wildfire risk mapping tool, a five-year rehabilitation framework and streamlined permitting processes for energy operations.
Workforce and pay reforms
The Departments confirmed that permanent pay reform for federal and tribal firefighters is now law.
They reported that the fiscal year 2026 budget includes a request to extend the waiver on premium pay caps, which would prevent income penalties during peak fire periods.
The memorandum also directed the Forest Service to restructure its fire organisation, creating a consolidated leadership structure reporting to a Deputy Chief by April 2026.
Staffing assessments, job descriptions and position classifications will also be standardised as part of the workforce reforms.
The USDA stated that the aim is to ensure competitive pay, improve retention and support the workforce facing longer and more intense fire seasons.
Input from states and partners
The Department of the Interior reported that states, tribes, local governments and the private sector will be invited to provide suggestions on improving the federal wildfire response system.
The USDA explained that revisions to cooperative agreements and grant processes will be simplified to accelerate reimbursements and reduce administrative delays.
The agencies confirmed that coordination with other federal departments, including Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency, will be expanded.
It was also reported that continued congressional support is needed to provide appropriations and authorities for long-term reforms.
The Departments indicated that successful implementation will depend on maintaining strong partnerships with state and local governments and the private sector.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
The establishment of the US Wildland Fire Service introduces a unified national structure that will affect federal, tribal, state and local firefighting operations.
Fire and safety professionals may be impacted by new qualification standards, updated training requirements and expanded use of predictive intelligence systems.
The workforce reforms and pay adjustments could influence recruitment, retention and deployment of personnel across federal and interagency teams.
Updated equipment standards, a new IT system and risk mapping tools are expected to have operational consequences for firefighter safety and wildfire planning.
US wildland fire service to begin operations in 2026: Summary
The US Departments of the Interior and Agriculture have announced the creation of the US Wildland Fire Service.
The new service is directed by Executive Order 14308 and will be implemented in January 2026.
The Department of the Interior issued Secretary’s Order 3443 to establish the service.
The Department of Agriculture issued Secretarial Memorandum 1078-017 to modernise the wildfire system.
The reform priorities include aviation, coordination, partnerships, research and technology, and integrated wildfire strategy.
The memorandum set deadlines for Forest Service actions ranging from 30 to 270 days.
Workforce reforms include permanent pay reform and a leadership restructure by April 2026.
The fiscal year 2026 budget includes an extension of the premium pay cap waiver.
States, tribes, local governments and the private sector will provide input into the reforms.
Congressional appropriations and authorities will be required for long-term implementation.
The Departments reported that wildfires cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
Wildfire risks now include threats to public health, energy, water supply and national security.
The reforms are intended to unify operations across agencies and modernise wildfire response nationwide.
Image credit: DBrownPhotos / Shutterstock.com