Draft order would reduce aircraft certification requirements

The Spokesman and ProPublica have reported that a draft White House executive order could reduce safety requirements for aerial firefighting aircraft while federal staffing cuts are already affecting the country’s firefighting capability.

The proposed order would remove specialised firefighting certification requirements for aircraft and instead require only standard Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approvals. This would permit the use of non-fire-certified aircraft in active wildfire zones and eliminate the role of lead planes used to coordinate retardant drops.

Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said: “The draft of the executive order we have seen dangerously reduces the safety of our communities and our wildland firefighters”.

National fire agency proposal would remove current partnerships

According to The Spokesman, the draft order includes provisions to dissolve the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and replace it with a new national firefighting agency. The Council currently facilitates collaboration between federal, state, tribal and local authorities.

Ryan Rodruck, spokesperson for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, said: “It scrambles partnerships and jumbles jurisdiction, attempting to put state and local response efforts under the control of a new federal fire entity”.

Rodruck added: “This confusion compromises the safety of our firefighters and our neighbours”.

Forest Service support staff terminated amid federal cuts

ProPublica reported that approximately 700 red-card-certified Forest Service employees were terminated in February 2025 as part of federal workforce cuts. These personnel, although not frontline firefighters, assist in logistics and conduct prescribed burns.

Frank Beum, of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, said: “There are not enough primary firefighters to do the full job that needs to be done when we have a high fire season”.

According to agency sources cited by ProPublica, these reductions will reduce the Forest Service’s ability to contain fires and maintain readiness ahead of the upcoming wildfire season.

Cuts impact training, recruitment and prescribed burns

ProPublica reported that staffing cuts have slowed hiring and cancelled some training programmes. Fewer trained personnel are available to supervise prescribed burns, which are a key tool for reducing fire risk.

One Forest Service employee said: “We are really, really behind onboarding our employees right now”.

Others described confusion within the agency over hiring guidelines and job roles, as federal departments implement overlapping directives and face legal challenges to layoffs.

Equipment logistics hindered by IT staffing shortages

The IT division supporting the Forest Service’s fire and aviation programmes has also been affected. According to ProPublica, the position overseeing logistics and technology systems remains unfilled, and the associated job posting was removed after the 2025 inauguration.

The IT system allows firefighting crews to request and receive equipment from agency warehouses. One employee said that failure to maintain this system could delay access to protective gear and critical tools.

Legal staff reductions affect environmental compliance

Legal capacity for wildfire prevention projects has also been reduced. According to ProPublica, terminated legal staff were responsible for defending the agency’s vegetation management efforts, which often face legal challenges from environmental groups.

A Department of Agriculture lawyer who was reinstated after being laid off in February said: “Every time we lose a case out West, it means the Forest Service can’t do a project, at least temporarily”.

The lawyer warned that future prescribed burns could be delayed due to a lack of legal support for environmental reviews.

Foreign aid exclusion and private sector involvement flagged

The Spokesman reported that the draft executive order includes language favouring U.S.-based firefighting assets over foreign support, which could limit cooperation with countries like Canada.

The order also suggests increased reliance on private contractors, which Rodruck criticised: “This EO has the potential to shift responsibility for fires to private entities more interested in their corporate bottom line than the lives of the people wildfire impacts”.

Washington state prepares for 2025 fire season

The Spokesman reported that Washington State has increased its aerial firefighting fleet to 44 aircraft and introduced new legislation to speed up interagency aircraft deployment.

The 2023 Oregon Road and Gray fires in Spokane County destroyed over 300 homes and burned more than 21,000 acres. Officials said the federal government did not consult the state before drafting the proposed changes.

Upthegrove said: “The last thing we should do is make wildland fire fighting less safe, but that’s exactly what this order, as it is written currently, will do”.

White House draft order and staffing cuts raise wildland firefighter safety concerns: Summary

The Spokesman and ProPublica have reported that a White House draft executive order would reduce certification standards for aerial firefighting aircraft by replacing fire-specific inspections with general FAA requirements.

The order also proposes dissolving the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and establishing a new national fire agency, changing the current intergovernmental coordination structure.

State officials have said these changes would increase safety risks for firefighters and the public.

Simultaneously, federal staffing cuts have impacted the U.S. Forest Service, resulting in the termination of around 700 trained support personnel.

ProPublica reported that training programmes, hiring processes and prescribed burns have been disrupted.

Staffing shortages in IT and legal departments have delayed equipment access and complicated regulatory compliance.

Foreign support could be reduced and private sector involvement expanded under the draft order.

Washington State, which experienced severe wildfires in 2023, was not consulted during the drafting process.

The state has increased its resources ahead of the 2025 fire season.