As the U.S. moves towards peak fire season, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has signed a memo signaling the Department of Agriculture’s approach to wildfire response under the Trump administration.
The memo – signed on Tuesday 20 May – directs the Forest Service to take several actions over the next 30 days, including policy changes for when the nation’s fire preparedness level is high.
At Preparedness Level 3 and above, Rollins directed USFS Chief Tom Schultz to “prioritize and redeploy the non-fire workforce” to support wildfire response. A Preparedness Level 3 is issued when the potential for wildland fires is normal for the time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, meaning it’s likely non-fire personnel will be deployed in 2025.
“This will include a necessary adjustment to the agency’s other program work,” Rollins’ memo said. “Exercise all available authorities, consistent with prior direction, to ensure the agency is using every tool and authority available to meet the Nation’s wildfire response needs.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed a joint memo on wildfire preparedness on May 20, 2025.Rollins also told Schultz to identify the impact of “voluntary” departures on the firefighting and fire support workforce, and to remedy critical vacancies to ensure the proper resources are available. The directive was made just months after the department was forced to hire back all 6,000 USDA workers the Trump administration fired on Feb. 13.
The mass firing included thousands of federal land employees, around 75% of whom had secondary wildland fire duties, according to Grassroots Wildland Firefighters Vice President Riva Duncan, who obtained the numbers from the National Federation of Federal Employees’ Wildland Fire division.
It’s unclear how many of those workers returned to their jobs after the firing.
READ MORE: USDA hires back all 6,000 fired workers from past month, including public land employees
Rollins also signed a more general wildland firefighting memo with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on Tuesday, stating the nation’s wildland firefighters will have all necessary resources and support during 2025’s peak wildfire season.
That memo, addressed to top personnel at the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said their leadership would be essential to protecting people during the already above normal wildfire year.
“The scope and complexity of today’s wildfires require unity,” the memo said. “Success demands the seamless collaboration of Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies, along with community partners to maximize resources; enhance effectiveness; and ensure swift, coordinated responses. Together, we will prevent countless tragedies and protect the lands that support our way of life.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed a joint memo on wildfire preparedness on May 20, 2025.
9 Comments
You can not put any non-fire workforce on wildfire response unless they are qualified with fire training, some experience is helpful and all training classes required by policy. Someone will get hurt or worse.
Wasn’t there some order a few months ago to form a national fire service by July? Or has that idea mercifully sunk into oblivion (again)?
That’s nothing new. The FS non fire employees have always played a part in fighting wildfires
Gee, now will this fit with the regime’s demand for a much greater timber cut each year? The people aren’t going to be there for both – and quite likely neither charge to the agency.
I do wonder if these folks, or those who penned their statements, have even a basic understanding of the subject matter. Or that it takes an engaged and motivated workforce of sufficient size, respected and actively supported by political leadership, to accomplish what they are tasked with doing. These letters of “direction” serve one purpose only: cover-and-concealment for top-end “leadership”. When challenges arise, things go sideways, and accountability demanded, which is all but certain, it will be those tasked with the doing who will be found at fault.
I had typed a long rant but, I deleted it and just have two things to say; This is going to be one heck of a ride this fire season and, this Administration is clueless!
MABA ?
This season is going to be so long. I know of a dispatch center that lost 5 people in one day. Filling the non fire folks will be the bottom of the priority list
If are going to ask the militia to participate, then they deserve the same pay as the primary FF’s. Just because you write a memo directing non fire to participate dose not at all force anyone to take assignments. Most non primary folks take assignments for various reasons, mostly extra income. Are we not all equal on the fire line, of course we are. Why create a sub class, I get the ” we are professional FF’s” arguments, but creating a pay disparity will cause unnecessary friction. Just pay em.
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