Trump Advances Wildfire Suppression Efforts

KEEPING AMERICANS SAFE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to protect communities at risk from wildfires and ensure immediate action is taken to control fires before they become major natural disasters that destroy thousands of acres of timber and imperil critical water resources and watersheds.

• The Memorandum determines that it is in the paramount interest of the United States to exempt federal firefighting activities, including the aerial use, deployment, and discharge of fire retardant, from the Clean Water Act permitting.
• The Memorandum exempts federal firefighting activities from the Clean Water Act to ensure wildland firefighters have the necessary tools to protect America's rural communities and natural resources from unpredictable and difficult-to-control wildfires during the 2027 fire season despite an adverse district court decision.

GUARANTEEING FIRE SUPPRESSION TOOLS: To prepare for the upcoming wildland fire season, President Trump is ensuring that Americans and the federal government are well-equipped to control wildfires.

• Wildfire is a serious national threat to our forests and rangelands and our Forest Service must be equipped to respond to unpredictable wildfires.
• Protracted litigation created legal uncertainty and regulatory requirements that have tied the hands of those who put their lives at risk fighting wildfire under the most difficult conditions.
• Under an adverse district court decision, use of aerial fire retardant in federal wildland firefighting efforts now requires a Clean Water Act permit, however, despite numerous efforts, the U.S. Forest Service has been unsuccessful in securing a permit due to significant regulatory hurdles.
• This Memorandum fulfills the permitting requirements for a year, ensuring the judicious use of aerial fire retardant will protect lives, livelihoods, communities, infrastructure and resources.

STRENGTHENING WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE: This Memorandum expands on a series of significant actions the President has taken to protect the nation's forests, rangelands, and recreational landscapes from wildfires for generations to come.

• In his first term, President Trump signed legislation to improve the funding process for the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's wildfire suppression operations.
  • Before this fix, the funding structure forced wildland firefighting agencies to take funds from prevention programs to cover the rising costs of responding to wildfires.
• In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order immediately increasing domestic timber production and streamlining federal policies to enhance forest management, reduce wildfire risks, and decrease reliance on imported timber.
• In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order empowering states, localities, and citizens to more effectively prepare for incidents like cyber attacks, wildfire, and weather events.
  • From that, in June 2026, the White House released its National Resilience Strategy, establishing a risk-informed posture driven by a return to federalism, tech-infused modernization, and simplified governance.
• In June 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order returning common sense to wildfire prevention and response.
• In January 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order cutting through bureaucratic red tape and speeding up reconstruction in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon areas after devastating wildfires destroyed nearly 40,000 acres of homes and businesses.