Policy & Funding

A bipartisan group of senators from Western states is warning that the federal wildfire suppression budget is nearly depleted just as the Pacific Northwest enters its most volatile fall fire weather period. The U.S. Forest Service and Wildland Fire Service have dedicated over $6 billion to fire suppression this year.

Senators Padilla, Wyden, Schiff, Bennet, and Hickenlooper warned the Interior and USDA secretaries that federal firefighting resources are critically depleted after $6 billion in spending and 47 days at maximum preparedness level, with the worst of fire season potentially still ahead.

The FY2026 appropriations bill made the 2025 wildland firefighter pay increase permanent, while the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act advances through Congress. Policy advocates warn that the record 2026 season underscores the need for structural fire funding reform.

Senators Bennet, Wyden, Padilla, Schiff, and Hickenlooper are demanding action after the federal wildfire suppression budget — more than $6 billion — was nearly fully exhausted by September 2. Personnel are stretched beyond safe limits after 49 consecutive days at Preparedness Level 5.

A proposal to consolidate all federal wildland fire operations under a new DOI U.S. Wildland Fire Service is advancing in Washington, D.C., as the 2026 fire season — one of the most destructive in U.S. history — highlights the growing strain on the nation's firefighting infrastructure.

Five U.S. senators warned this week that the federal firefighting budget — more than $6 billion committed in 2026 — may be nearly exhausted before fire season ends. Meanwhile Oregon's legislature approved $123 million in emergency state funds to cover 2026 suppression costs.

Oregon lawmakers approved $122 million in emergency wildfire funding as the state's total 2026 fire season costs approach $350 million, with ODF also planning to borrow up to $150 million from the state treasury to keep operations running.

The Fix Our Forests Act is gaining traction in Congress as the 2026 season rages, with White House backing secured on August 10. The bipartisan bill — which would expand prescribed burns, fuel treatments, and Fireshed Management Areas — could be attached to the must-pass NDAA when Congress returns.

Oregon set aside $86 million for wildfire suppression in 2026, but state officials warn that delayed federal reimbursements are creating cash flow stress even as the most destructive fire season in state history winds down. Meanwhile, BLM launches fuel treatment work in Idaho.

Federal wildfire reorganization proposals, a $6.55 billion national fire budget, a September 30 fireshed policy deadline, and a growing homeowner insurance crisis in Oregon are reshaping the wildfire policy landscape as the 2026 season approaches its end.

The Oregon Department of Forestry is seeking emergency legislative funding to cover a record $236 million in gross wildfire suppression costs, as the state's worst fire season on record strains budgets and exposes long-term funding gaps in Oregon's fire management system.

Oregon’s 2026 wildfire costs have reached a record $236 million — 29% above the previous record — as the state seeks emergency funding for a season that has already burned 2.5 million acres.

Oregon's 2026 wildfire suppression costs have reached $236 million gross, with the state receiving eight federal FMAG declarations this season. Congressional action on short-term funding includes wildfire suppression carve-outs, and FEMA's pre-disaster mitigation program has $189.7 million available for community risk reduction.

The 2026 wildfire season has burned 8.2 million acres across the U.S. — 161% of the 10-year average — with the National Preparedness Level at its maximum of 5 and nearly 20,000 firefighters deployed nationwide to 78 large active fires.

A new Department of the Interior agency — the U.S. Wildland Fire Service — was created by secretarial order in early 2026, consolidating BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighting operations. But as the record-breaking season burns on, the new agency has yet to receive dedicated congressional funding.

The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act is gaining momentum in Congress, backed by White House support, as the 2026 wildfire season burns at 164% of the 10-year average and Congress weighs $2.65 billion in emergency fire funding.

Congress is moving on wildfire legislation as the 2026 season breaks records. The newly created U.S. Wildland Fire Service lacks official funding, FY2027 proposals would allocate $1.54B to USWFS, and a firefighter housing crisis is straining the federal workforce.

The Fix Our Forests Act is advancing with bipartisan and White House support, while critics push back on a full-suppression policy that fire scientists say worsens long-term fire risk.

As the 2026 fire season burns through records and federal agencies strain to respond, a bipartisan legislative push and a high-profile debate over federal forestry management are reshaping the political landscape around wildfire policy. The Fix Our Forests Act, the Roadless Rule repeal, and deep USFS budget pressures are at the center of it all.

FEMA has denied federal firefighting assistance grants for two major Oregon wildfires in 2026, prompting Senators Wyden and Merkley to call it a 'major shift in administrative policy.' The denials leave Oregon covering 100% of suppression costs amid a historic fire season with 1.7M+ acres burned.