Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and
Recovery

Ross W. Gorte
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
June 6, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R41858
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery

aging wildfires, burned homes, and the evacuation of thousands make headlines nearly
every fire season. Options for federal support and assistance—during the fires, in the
R aftermath, and aimed at preventing a recurrence—have been raised by many concerned
about the ongoing disasters. This report briefly describes these federal options.
During the Fire
Federal wildfire policy is to actively suppress all wildfires, unless a fire management plan
identifies locations and conditions when monitoring or less aggressive suppression efforts are
appropriate (called appropriate management response or AMR). Federal responsibility for
wildfire suppression is to protect lives, property, and resources on federal lands; federal
firefighting is funded through the U.S. Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) and through
the Department of the Interior.1 States are responsible for suppressing wildfires on nonfederal
(state and private) lands.2 The federal government provides support to the states in two ways. One
is through direct financial assistance for state fire protection efforts, funded through the Forest
Service’s state fire assistance program. The other, and more critical when wildfires are burning,
consists of fire suppression forces and assistance—personnel, funding, and equipment (including
aircraft)—provided at a state’s request, and coordinated through the National Interagency Fire
Center (NIFC) in Boise, ID. In emergencies, NIFC coordinates federal, state, and private forces
(including the military, when called upon) to assist the state or region in need while maintaining
local wildfire protection; how paying for these forces gets allocated is usually addressed after the
emergency is over. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the Department of
Homeland Security can also assist through Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) that
can provide grants, equipment, personnel, and supplies to supplement community resources when
fires threaten destruction that might warrant a major disaster declaration; this requires a request
from the governor while the fire is burning.3 If the President declares a disaster, fire management
assistance and other recovery programs are also available from FEMA under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.4
The federal government also supports state and local efforts to evacuate areas threatened by
wildfires. Presidential declaration of an emergency triggers federal aid to protect property and
public health and safety while preserving state autonomy and responsibility.5 Although the new
national response framework, required in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, is still not complete,
FEMA and the National Guard have been assisting state and local agencies in evacuating areas
and establishing and maintaining evacuation shelters.
In the Aftermath
As with fire control efforts, federal actions in the aftermath of a wildfire disaster can take two
principal forms. In the first, a presidential declaration of a major disaster initiates a process for
federal assistance to help state and local governments and families and individuals recover from

1 See CRS Report RL33990, Federal Funding for Wildfire Control and Management, by Ross W. Gorte.
2 See CRS Report RL30755, Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection, by Ross W. Gorte.
3 See CRS Report RL33053, Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities,
and Funding
, by Keith Bea.
4 42 U.S.C. § 5187.
5 See CRS Report RL34146, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process: A Primer, by Francis X. McCarthy.
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Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery

the disaster. The nature and extent of the assistance depends on a number of factors, such as the
nature and severity of the wildfire damages and the insurance coverage of the affected parties.6
Site rehabilitation and restoration following fire is the second principal form of support by federal
agencies. On federal lands, site rehabilitation routinely occurs as an emergency wildfire program
and through regular land management activities. Activities include sowing areas with quick-
growing grasses as well as planting trees and other activities to reduce erosion.
On state and private lands, the responsibility lies with the landowner, but federal assistance can be
provided through the Forest Service’s state fire assistance and other state forestry assistance
programs.7 In addition, USDA has two programs—the Emergency Watershed Protection Program
administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service8 and the Emergency Conservation
Program administered by the Farm Service Agency9—that can provide for restoration activities
(tree planting, streambank stabilization, and more) following wildfires.
Some severely burned areas (e.g., in southern California) are at risk of landslides during the
subsequent rainstorms, even after site restoration efforts. Little can be done to prevent such
events, but monitoring can provide warning to homeowners to evacuate the area prior to a
landslide, and other federal post-disaster assistance can then become available.
Preventing a Recurrence
Numerous federal programs provide grants to states and local governments to prepare for wildfire
emergencies. The Forest Service provides financial and technical assistance and equipment to
states and volunteer fire departments, and to communities for wildfire protection planning. FEMA
provides grants and training for firefighting and for community responses to terrorist attacks and
natural disasters.10 Projects to reduce the risk of future fires may also be eligible under FEMA’s
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program.11
A perhaps bigger question is how to prevent a recurrence of catastrophic fires. The answer is: You
can’t—drought, lightning, and high winds make extreme wildfires inevitable. Reducing fuel
levels can, in some ecosystems, reduce the damages from wildfires and decrease the likelihood of
a catastrophic wildfire occurring.12 However, severe wildfires cannot be prevented in ecosystems
that have evolved with wildfire, such as the chaparral of southern California and lodgepole pine
in the northern and central Rockies. Nonetheless, it is also possible to protect structures in such
settings. Federal research and grants, particularly for the FIREWISE program, have shown how
homeowners can protect their structures, even while wildfires burn around them.13 The keys are
the structure itself (especially non-flammable roofing) and the landscaping within 40 meters of

6 See CRS Report RL31734, Federal Disaster Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries, by Carolyn V. Torsell.
7 See CRS Report RL31065, Forestry Assistance Programs, by Ross W. Gorte.
8 33 U.S.C. § 701b-1 and 16 U.S.C. § 2203. See http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/.
9 16 U.S.C. §§ 2201-2204. See http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=ecp.
10 See CRS Report RS21302, Assistance to Firefighters Program, by Lennard G. Kruger, and CRS Report R40471,
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program: Overview and Issues, by Natalie Keegan.
11 42 U.S.C. § 5133.
12 See CRS Report R40811, Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction, by Ross W. Gorte.
13 See CRS Report RS21880, Wildfire Protection in the Wildland-Urban Interface, by Ross W. Gorte.
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the structure. Zoning could inform and enforce appropriate standards for wildfire protection for
structures.

Author Contact Information

Ross W. Gorte

Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
rgorte@crs.loc.gov, 7-7266


Congressional Research Service
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