History

Key Milestones  

• 1988 – Yellowstone wildfires highlighted the need for improved planning and coordination.
• 1992 – An Interior Fire Coordinator position was created; a department-wide wildland fire fund was established.
• 1995 – The first federal wildland fire policy was established by the Interior and Agriculture departments.
• 2001 – Interior Secretary Norton established the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination (renamed the Office of Wildland Fire in 2012).
• 2025 – Executive Order 14308 directed federal agencies to streamline and modernize wildland fire management; Interior Secretary's Order 3443 directed the establishment of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.
• 2026 – The U.S. Wildland Fire Service was launched. 

Timeline

Decentralized Management (Pre-1992) 

Prior to the 1990s, wildland fire management within the Department of the Interior was independently overseen by individual bureaus. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service each managed its own wildland fire program with separate policies, budgets, and approaches. 

1988 – Yellowstone Wildfires 

In 1988, prominent wildfires burned in and around Yellowstone National Park, capturing national attention. A review of the Yellowstone fires later indicated that lack of adequate planning and funding contributed to difficulty with managing the fires. Concern over these high-profile wildfires prompted work to begin on budgetary and organizational changes to Interior's wildland fire management. The changes were intended to improve planning and departmental coordination. 

Department-wide Coordination (1992-2000) 

1992 – Interior Fire Coordinator; Department-wide Fund 

The Office of Management and Budget established a $200 million department-wide fund to support improved consistency in wildland fire management across the Interior Department. The fund was held in a Bureau of Land Management account.  

Interior's Office of Policy, Management and Budget created an Interior Fire Coordinator position to manage the department-wide account and develop consistent wildland fire policy, program, and budget oversight. 

1994 – South Canyon Fire 

In 1994, 34 wildland firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty, including 14 firefighters during the South Canyon Fire in Colorado, underscoring the critical importance of improved coordination and safety. 

1995 – Federal Wildland Fire Policy 

The year after the South Canyon Fire, the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture published the first Federal Wildland Fire Policy, establishing foundational principles for interagency fire management. 

Departmental Oversight (2001-2011) 

As wildfire seasons intensified and fire management costs increased in the late 1990s, more cohesive departmental leadership became essential for continued, effective wildland fire management. 

2001 – Office of Wildland Fire Coordination 

Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton created the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination (later to be called the Office of Wildland Fire to reflect its growing mission) in response to substantial new congressional funding totaling $979 million and demands for increased consistency and accountability. The office consolidated financial and program oversight, oversaw the wildland fire management programs of Interior's four fire bureaus; and coordinated with the USDA Forest Service and other federal partners. 

2008 – Centralized Budget Authority 

Management of Interior's wildland fire account was formally transferred to the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination, centralizing budget authority and enabling more strategic resource allocation. 

2011 – National Wildland Fire Architecture Blueprint 

The Office of Wildland Fire Coordination’s mission expanded to include improving wildland fire technology, as directed by the National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture Blueprint. In coordination with the USDA Forest Service, the office began work on consolidating and developing new information technology systems. 

Unified Wildland Fire Management (2025 onward) 

Despite substantial progress in improving coordination across the Interior Department’s wildland fire programs, the escalating wildfire crisis demanded comprehensive modernization. Wildfires were costing hundreds of billions of dollars annually, requiring a new organizational model. 

January 2025 – LA Wildfires 

In January 2025, an unprecedented set of 14 wildfires burned in the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas. The fires forced the evacuation of 200,000 people; destroyed 18,000 structures; and directly resulted in 31 deaths. The LA fires emphasized the change in historical wildfire patterns and the need for a modernized, streamlined approach to wildland fire management. 

June 12, 2025 – Presidential Direction to Modernize 

President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14308, "Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response," directing the modernization of wildfire management nationwide. 

September 10, 2025 – Interior Department Unification Directive 

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed Secretary's Order 3443, directing the establishment of a unified U.S. Wildland Fire Service within the Interior Department. 

January 12, 2026 – Launch of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service 

Established on January 12, 2026, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service manages wildfire suppression, fuels management, and post-fire recovery efforts across Interior-administered and tribal lands.

The service provides an integrated, cost-efficient, and operationally more effective organization that unifies wildland fire management across the Interior Department. This unification allows Interior to better respond to the increasing risks that wildfire poses to people, property, and infrastructure.  

Creation of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service represents the culmination of organizational improvements over decades within the Interior Department in response to increasingly extreme wildfires across the United States. This historic effort to modernize wildfire management is improving the long-term resilience of America’s public lands.