Director’s Report: Building a Wildfire-Resilient Nation

Wildland firefighters work on the Falls Fire in Oregon. Photo by Mike McMillan.  

BY JEFF RUPERT

September is typically a challenging month for wildfire management, and this year is no exception with extreme wildfire activity occurring throughout the western United States. Increased temperatures, winds, and tinder-dry vegetation are challenging wildland firefighters as the nation remains at Preparedness Level 5, the highest level of wildfire activity.

So far this year, more than 36,500 wildfires have burned over 7 million acres throughout the country. Tragically, more than 3,700 structures have been destroyed since January 1, which includes 1,965 homes, as well as minor structures and outbuildings. Firefighting resources are taxed as multiple geographic areas battle large, problematic incidents.

At times like this, interagency support is crucial. No single agency can tackle wildfire suppression alone; we rely on international, local, state, federal, and Tribal partners. On July 31, Secretary Haaland issued a “2024 Support for Wildland Fire and Other Incident Response” memo encouraging Interior supervisors and managers to allow those employees with wildland fire qualifications to prioritize wildfire assignments if they request them. Australia and New Zealand recently sent 790 fire personnel to assist the U.S., and the Department of Defense mobilized 200 military personnel from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. The interagency wildland fire community continues to work together, striving to provide the resources we need while also planning for the next wildfire that will require fresh firefighters.

The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook predicts hot, dry weather will continue through at least the next week in many areas of the country. This means we’re preparing for a potentially challenging fall. Leaders continue to watch for fatigue and accidents that can occur when fire personnel have been working hard on firelines for many weeks. While firefighters train for these conditions, we remain vigilant, with safety at the core of our efforts to protect communities, infrastructure, and natural resources.

The current fire situation is a testament to the importance of investing in wildland fire management. As average temperatures continue to rise and ongoing issues continue, like invasive weeds, drought, and expansion of the wildland urban interface where homes are most vulnerable to wildfire, we must plan for more extreme fire years. Proactive investments that help us meet wildland fire management and risk reduction goals will play a key role.

The historic funding provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping set us on a trajectory where we can more successfully manage wildland fire into the future. The law provided much-needed funding to increase the resilience of lands facing the threat of wildfire and to better support federal wildland firefighters. For example, Interior has been able to increase the pace and scale of its wildfire risk reduction efforts. Since the law was enacted in 2022, Interior has completed more than 5.4 million acres of fuels treatments throughout the country.

With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Interior Department and USDA Forest Service are making important reforms to the wildland fire workforce, including a temporary pay increase that is having positive impacts on the lives of our firefighters. The law also established the Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing program, a vital measure to provide the care and resources necessary for a well-supported wildland fire workforce.

While these essential investments move us closer to our goals, we continue to work with Congress and the interagency wildland fire community to further this momentum. We need to build the foundation today toward a future where we can safely live with and manage wildfire. A permanent wildland firefighter pay solution and further workforce investments will allow us to continue recruiting and retaining a professional workforce to match the extreme wildfire activity of today and the future. Further wildfire risk reduction investments will allow Interior and its partners to improve the safety of Tribes and communities before smoke is in the air. Funding post-wildfire rehabilitation will allow communities and our public lands to recover and become more resilient to future wildfires.

As our dedicated wildland fire workforce continues to tackle extreme wildfire activity, we owe it to them to continue investing in wildland fire management. This means not only funding adequate wildfire suppression, but also investing in the future to ensure our workforce is well-supported and we continue to accelerate the pace and scale of proactive wildfire risk reduction projects to help communities safely live alongside wildfire.

As the Director of the Office of Wildland Fire, Jeff Rupert oversees the Department of the Interior’s Wildland Fire Management Program, which spans four bureaus and administers over 535 million acres of public and Tribal lands. In this role, he sets policy and ensures the program’s $1.75 billion budget is strategically invested to reduce wildfire risk, rehabilitate burned landscapes, promote a better understanding of wildfire, and support firefighters. During more than 30 years with the Department of the Interior, Rupert also served as the Chief of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning and as a refuge manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service.