OPINION:
During 27 years in the fire service, I saw various fires and emergency situations. The causes, locations and environments of fires differ, as do available firefighting assets, but all fire response scenarios share a fundamental truth: When fire strikes, speed and coordination save lives.
This summer, President Trump issued the executive order “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response,” which established the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy has taken the helm as the first director of the service.
On the U.S. Forest Service side, Sarah Fisher now serves as deputy chief of fire and aviation management, succeeding David Lytle, who held the role in an acting capacity during the transition and now serves on special assignment to the Forest Service chief’s office.
So far, Congress has declined to fund this new firefighting apparatus, and that’s a mistake.
This reform cuts through layers of bureaucracy that have long complicated federal wildfire response and replaces fragmentation with focus. For decades, wildland fire responsibilities have been spread across multiple federal agencies with overlapping jurisdictions, competing chains of command and inconsistent operational frameworks.
Although the men and women in those agencies are dedicated professionals, the system itself has too often slowed response times and diluted accountability.
In the major fires I’ve witnessed or studied, the outcome has often been determined within the first operational period, particularly the first hour. That window is when a fire is still small enough to be directly attacked. It’s when ground crews can contain the fire before wind shifts, fuel loads ignite en masse and the need for evacuation becomes widespread.
Once a fire escapes the initial attack phase, complexity multiplies exponentially, costs surge, structures are lost and lives are endangered.
A streamlined and fully funded U.S. Wildland Fire Service would strengthen our ability to marshal federal resources quickly and decisively during that first hour. By centralizing command authority and eliminating redundant processes, the USWFS would create a clearer operational picture and accelerate deployment.
Over the course of my career, from firefighter to deputy fire chief, I witnessed firsthand how bureaucratic bottlenecks slow critical decision-making. When you are managing multiagency responses, clarity in command and control is everything.
The establishment of the USWFS reduces the administrative friction that has historically existed among agencies responsible for federal lands, forests and emergency response. Wildfire does not respect jurisdictional boundaries, and our response structure shouldn’t either.
The reform also gives wildfire response experts at the federal level a new chance to examine and invest in the tools that will define the next generation of wildfire response.
Camera detection networks, artificial-intelligence-powered smoke recognition software, real-time satellite integration, digital platforms where fire responders can coordinate in real time, and predictive modeling tools are no longer futuristic concepts. They are operational necessities.
Early detection, paired with rapid deployment, is the most cost-effective and lifesaving strategy available, but it’s not enough. We must invest in aggressive initial attack resources, including highly trained crews, aviation assets, direct attack capability and modernized dispatch systems that can move those resources immediately.
Wildfire seasons are now longer than ever before. Fuel loads are heavier, communities are expanding into the wildland-urban interface, and the stakes of fire response are rising. The creation of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service is a necessary step toward a more coordinated, accountable and effective national wildfire strategy.
In my career, I have stood alongside firefighters in extreme heat, heavy smoke and unpredictable conditions. I have seen communities saved because crews arrived early and hit hard. I have also seen what happens when fires outrun our response.
We owe it to our firefighters and our citizens to give them a system designed for speed, clarity and decisive action. Mr. Trump’s executive order is a strong start.
Now, Congress must fully fund USWFS and commit to sustained investment in early-detection technology and initial attack capability.
In wildfire response, there are no do-overs, and the first hour can mean everything.
• Gregory Casentini served as deputy fire chief in the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Protection District in California.
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