https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated December 2, 2022
Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery
Wildfires are unplanned fires. Wildfires can have some
beneficial impacts on an ecosystem, but they often threaten
homes and communities, forcing the evacuation of
thousands of people. Wildfires are sometimes caused by
lightning strikes and may occur when a prescribed burn
escapes control or through other human activities
(deliberate or accidental). Annually from 2012 to 2021,
there were an average of 61,289 wildfires, with an average
of 7.4 million acres impacted and an average of 8,000
structures burned. In 2021, 58,968 wildfires impacted 7.1
million acres and burned nearly 6,000 structures
nationwide, 60% (3,577) of which were residences.
Through December 2, 2022, just over 64,000 wildfires have
impacted 7.3 million acres to date this year.
Congress and other stakeholders have considered options
for federal support and assistance to address wildfire
suppression during a fire, post-wildfire recovery, and land
management activities to reduce the risk of future
catastrophic wildfires, among other issues.
During a Fire
The federal government is responsible for wildfires that
begin on federal lands. The Department of the Interior
(DOI) manages wildfire response for more than 400 million
acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and preserves, other
public lands, and Indian reservations. The Forest Service
(FS), within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
manages wildfire response across the 193 million acres of
the National Forest System.
Federal responsibility for wildfire suppression is intended
to protect lives, property, and resources on federal lands.
Federal wildfire policy is to evaluate the risks to firefighter
and public safety and welfare—and to natural, ecological,
and cultural values to be protected—to determine the
appropriate response to wildfire. Depending on the risk
assessment, the federal response may range from active
suppression to monitoring, as supported by the area’s land
and resource management plans.
States are responsible for suppressing wildfires on
nonfederal (state, local, and private) lands, although the
response may be managed jointly for comingled land
ownership, including federal lands. The federal government
supports the states in several ways. Many states have
partnerships with federal agencies to provide wildfire
suppression services through cooperative fire protection
agreements. These agreements authorize federal and state
partners to share resources—such as aviation equipment
and personnel—during a wildfire season, allowing for a
coordinated interagency response that deploys resources to
areas of greatest critical need. The National Multi-Agency
Coordination Group, located at the National Interagency
Fire Center in Boise, ID, coordinates and allocates federal,
state, and private forces (as well as the military, when
called upon) and resources at a national level. Geographic
Area Coordination Centers coordinate and allocate
resources at 10 regional levels. The cost of these resources
is then reimbursed as specified in the cooperative fire
protection master agreement, which often lists several
different methods to apportion costs, each with different
financial impacts.
A state also may request assistance from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the
Department of Homeland Security for wildfires that began
on state or private lands. If a wildfire were burning out of
control and threatened to become a major disaster, a
governor could request an emergency declaration.
However, the most frequent assistance provided at this
stage from FEMA is through Fire Management Assistance
Grants (FMAGs), as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford
Act; 42 U.S.C. §§5271 et seq.). Once issued, an FMAG
declaration authorizes various forms of federal assistance
(e.g., equipment; personnel; and grants to state, local, and
tribal governments) for the control, management, and
mitigation of any fire on certain public or private forestland
or grassland that might become a major disaster. The grants
may reimburse up to 75% of allowable suppression costs
for eligible fires. FMAG declarations, unlike some major
disaster declarations, do not authorize assistance to
individuals and households. A state or tribe may request
that the President declare a wildfire a major disaster under
the Stafford Act, authorizing other assistance and recovery
programs, including assistance to individuals and
households.
The federal government also supports state and local efforts
to evacuate areas threatened by wildfires. A presidential
declaration triggers federal aid to protect property and
public health and safety while attempting to preserve state
autonomy and responsibility. The National Planning
Frameworks guide FEMA on how to assist state and local
agencies with emergencies and disasters, including
wildfires.
Information on active wildfires may be found at
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov.
COVID-19 Pandemic Considerations
The COVID-19 pandemic presents several interrelated
challenges for wildland fire management. Wildland fire
response typically involves activities and conditions that
can facilitate the transmission of infectious diseases such as
COVID-19. For example, wildland firefighters and other
support personnel work and live in close proximity to one
another during an active fire, and fire crews often travel to
and from different states over the course of a fire season. In
