President Donald Trump on Thursday directed federal wildfire agencies to more closely coordinate efforts but stopped short of calling for creation of a new wildfire agency separate from the Forest Service.
In an executive order, the president directed the Agriculture and Interior departments to consolidate “to the maximum degree practicable” their wildland fire programs within 90 days.
He directed the departments to recommend additional measures to advance the objective, which could include the new wildland fire service the administration proposed to Congress in its budget request for fiscal 2026.
The executive order touches on other objectives, including strengthening mutual aid efforts with states and localities and developing and expanding the use of additional land management practices to reduce wildfire threats.
In calling for the moves, Trump cited the destruction of the Los Angeles wildfires and in part blamed “reckless mismanagement” for those and other fires.
“Wildfires threaten every region, yet many local government entities continue to disregard commonsense preventative measures. Firefighters across the country are forced to rely on outdated technology and face challenges in quickly responding to wildfires because of unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy,” the executive order said.
The order also directs EPA to consider changing or rescinding regulations that stand in the way of using prescribed fire, which appears to refer to air pollution considerations that members of both parties say need revisiting to encourage prescribed burns.
The order directs the attorney general to to review all pending and proposed wildfire litigation involving utility companies to ensure the department’s positions advance wildfire prevention priorities.
