What the new wildland fire plan means for US firefighting coordination
Iain Hoey
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Departments announce Wildland Fire Service Plan
Bridger Aerospace has welcomed a new Wildland Fire Service Plan announced by the US Departments of Interior and Agriculture.
The plan forms part of a coordinated effort to implement President Trump’s Executive Order 14308, Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response.
According to the company, the initiative will modernise federal wildfire response and improve coordination between agencies.
Sam Davis, Chief Executive Officer at Bridger Aerospace, said: “Consolidating federal capabilities and bringing together wildland fire programs that have long operated across multiple agencies will help us respond more quickly and effectively at the early stages of a wildfire to save lives, protect property, and reduce the hazards faced by firefighters.”
Implementation scheduled for January 2026
The Department of the Interior issued Secretary’s Order 3443 to establish the US Wildland Fire Service, with implementation planned for January 2026.
The Department of Agriculture released its own memorandum to support the plan by modernising and strengthening wildfire prevention and response across the country.
The Wildland Fire Service Plan identifies five priorities that will guide its implementation.
These include addressing systemic inefficiencies, modernising aviation and coordination systems, and improving interagency coordination and response.
The plan will also focus on improving partnerships between federal agencies, ensuring that technology and research investments are mission-ready, and integrating pre- and post-fire activities into a complete wildfire strategy.
Bipartisan act strengthens forecasting and prevention
Alongside the new plan, the bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 was passed unanimously in the US Senate.
The legislation is designed to strengthen federal wildfire forecasting, prevention and response capabilities through coordinated programs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Key measures include the establishment of a permanent Fire Weather Services program and funding for new technologies to improve wildfire condition forecasts.
The act also provides for the testing of unmanned aircraft for data collection and for the sharing of NOAA data across federal agencies to improve coordination and accuracy in fire weather monitoring.
Bridger Aerospace highlights impact on industry
Bridger Aerospace said that the combined introduction of the Wildland Fire Service Plan and the Fire Ready Nation Act represents a turning point in how the US manages wildfire preparedness and suppression.
Davis added: “The Wildland Fire Service Plan and the Fire Ready Nation Act come on the heels of the 2025 Executive Order on Wildfire Response which is already leading to a significant change in how the country approaches and fights wildfires.”
He continued: “With Bridger’s significant Air Attack fleet, including modern fire imaging and surveillance aircraft, and the world’s largest private Super Scooper fleet, we believe we are uniquely positioned as the nation refocuses efforts on preparedness and aggressive Wildfire Suppression.”
Davis added that the company expects the federal government’s 2026 budget for the new Wildland Fire Service to have a positive impact across the wildland fire community.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
The establishment of a unified US Wildland Fire Service and the passage of the Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 may affect federal and private-sector firefighting operations, aviation service providers and wildfire management teams.
The plan’s focus on early response, coordination, and modernised aviation systems could influence equipment procurement, aerial firefighting strategies and interagency collaboration protocols.
Professionals involved in fire-weather analysis, data integration and technology development may also see expanded roles as NOAA and federal agencies begin sharing weather and fire condition data under the new legislation.
The emphasis on pre- and post-fire activities within a complete wildfire strategy could shape operational planning for contractors and support organisations providing research, logistics and incident management services.
Wildland fire service plan aims to modernise federal wildfire response across the United States: Summary
The US Departments of Interior and Agriculture have announced a Wildland Fire Service Plan to modernise and coordinate federal wildfire response across the country.
The initiative forms part of President Trump’s Executive Order 14308, Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response, issued earlier in 2025.
Implementation of the plan, which includes establishing a US Wildland Fire Service, is scheduled to begin in January 2026.
The plan identifies five key priorities: improving aviation systems, strengthening coordination, enhancing partnerships, ensuring mission-ready technology and integrating pre- and post-fire activities.
The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025, passed by the Senate, complements the plan by strengthening forecasting, prevention and data-sharing through NOAA.
Bridger Aerospace, one of the largest US aerial firefighting companies, said the new initiatives will positively impact preparedness and wildfire suppression nationwide.
This article contains information from the following source: Bridger Aerospace