With peak wildfire seasons turning corners, California residents and the broader US West are brave not only for flames, but also for the continued cuts of federal programs that have long served as a lifeline for the region of flames.
As part of a broader effort to reduce spending, the Trump administration has cut workforce and reduced budgets at many agencies responsible for climate-based weather management and mitigation.
“The facts in question may not be convened this year at the same level of federal responses as previously convened, and not convened at all,” Rob Moore, a policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), told Hill.
Among the chopping block entities, the chief was the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which President Donald Trump promised to overhaul. Other cuts were hit by the Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Weather Service (NWS).
Meanwhile, Trump signed an executive order on Thursday focusing on wildfire prevention, directing the Interior Department and the Agriculture Director to “integrate wild fire programs.” The order also ordered the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft parts that could enhance mitigation and response, while also urging agencies to loosen regulations regarding the use of prescribed burns and firefighting agents.
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The accompanying fact sheet explained that the directive “returns common sense to preventing and responding to wildfires,” but the order itself condemned California’s response to the wildfires that destroyed Los Angeles in January.
Winter wildfires are evidence of “the catastrophic consequences of state and local governments not being able to respond quickly to such disasters,” according to the order.
“Too often, including in California, slow and inadequate responses to wildfires are a direct result of reckless mismanagement and lack of preparation,” the order states.
However, the order stopped focusing federal firefighting operations on one entity. This is a controversial plan included in Trump’s 2026 budget proposal.
Meanwhile, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem announced earlier this week the possible intent to eliminate FEMA “as it exists today” and distribute less funds to states experiencing disasters. There is a warning that such changes may not occur until autumn after hurricane season.
Media reports show that around 2,000 full-time FEMA staff members have either removed or voluntarily left in January, reaching about a third of the agency’s 6,100 workforce. Cameron Hamilton, the agency’s former acting chief, was fired a day after telling Congress that it would not be in “the greatest interests of the American people.”
In April, the Trump administration also ended the FEMA building’s resilient infrastructure and community program and distributed federal funds to states, tribes and local groups working on hazard mitigation projects. At the time, an agency spokesman spoke about “yet another example of a futile, ineffective FEMA program.”
In addition to these cuts, the agency considered cutting billions of dollars in grants based on immigration policies in certain cities. Earlier this spring, FEMA announced it had cancelled its National Fire Academy training course, which is offered free of charge to firefighters and other first responders.
Meanwhile, NOAA lost about 20% of its staff in layoffs and buyouts, but the NWS has experienced a 10% cut since the start of the year, according to the Center for Economic Policy Research, a US think tank focusing on economic and social issues.
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For Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Real Estate Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, weather-related cuts are particularly concerning than peak wildfire seasons, as most of the country’s accurate forecasts come from the federal government.
“Without the accuracy of the weather, we’re like walking around in the dark,” said Gabriel, who heads the advisory committee for the recovery of projects, a multi-center project, to rebuild Los Angeles after the catastrophic fire in January.
Describing California’s firefighting operations as current “year-round activities,” Gabriel emphasized the need for “high levels of preparation and potential deployments of potential deployments throughout the year.”
“The withdrawal of federal resources and lack of funding for traditional federal functions are a complete threat to this effort,” he added.
Gabriel said he felt it was “very painful” to ignore scientific data and thus to see government officials “pushing humanity behind.”
He argued that extreme weather events should be faced in a bipartisan way, as events like tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires are “an issue that affects everyone.”
In response to efforts to reduce FEMA, NRDC’s Moore argued in a recent essay that “the American disaster safety net is unraveling,” describing the agency as “one of the major climate resilience agencies.” His remarks were accompanied by comments raised by his organization to FEMA about “weaponization of federal disaster aid” and the threat of Trump withholding funds from California.
The administration is increasingly present in the Loggerheads with the Golden State, sending troops to protests for judged immigrants and signing resolutions blocking state emission rules.
Last month, Trump warned in a True Social Post in California that “large federal funds will be permanently curbed” after transgender high school students created a state athletics championship.
“The actions the administration is taking have an impact on the state and local ones as well as the federal government’s preparedness and response to disasters,” Moore told Hill.
“They are also doing things that are hindering training for their first local and state counterparts,” he added.
Leaving one component (such as FEMA) from the local disaster response system also elicits “causing ripples through the entire system,” according to Stephen Jensen, a professor of emergency response services at California State University Long Beach.
“The whole system is experiencing chaotic and radical changes,” Jensen told Hill, acknowledging that existing systems are far from perfect.
“There was a lot of work to do, but there are things I have to say to make slow and steady progress,” he said.
Nevertheless, both Jensen and Moore embraced hope for California. Jensen explained that he is “a much better positioned” in disaster preparedness than many other states.
“California is practiced well with this,” he continued. “We’ve found a way to do disasters, and we’ll find a way.”
Recognizing that federal cuts could pose challenges for California and its neighbors in fighting wildfires, Moore has identified a “speculative silver lining” over the long term.
“This may help us to awaken to the fact that the nation has a primary responsibility to address known vulnerabilities,” Moore said. “This starts some real realization.”
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