Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and
Recovery
Kelsi Bracmort
Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy
May 8, 2013
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R41858
CRS Report for Congress
Pr
epared 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. More than 9.3 million acres burned in 2012, the third-largest acreage
R burned annually since 1960.1 Severe wildfires in 2012 occurred in Oregon and New
Mexico, including the Whitewater-Baldy fire, which was the largest wildfire in New Mexico
history.2 Options for federal support and assistance—during the fires, in the aftermath, and aimed
at preventing a recurrence—have been considered 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.3 States are responsible for suppressing wildfires on nonfederal
(state and private) lands.4 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.5 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.6
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.7 The National
Planning Frameworks, required in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, guide FEMA on how to assist
state and local agencies with emergencies and disasters, including wildfires.8
1 National Interagency Fire Center, Total Wildland Fire and Acres.
2 National Interagency Fire Center, Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Annual Report 2012.
3 See CRS Report RL33990, Federal Funding for Wildfire Control and Management.
4 See CRS Report RL30755, Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection.
5 See CRS Report RL33053, Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities,
and Funding.
6 42 U.S.C. §5187.
7 See CRS Report RL34146, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process: A Primer.
8 Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Planning Frameworks, May 2013.
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Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery
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
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.9
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.10 In addition, USDA has two programs—the Emergency Watershed Protection
Program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service11 and the Emergency
Conservation Program administered by the Farm Service Agency12—that can provide for
restoration activities (tree planting, streambank stabilization, and more) following wildfires.13
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.14 Projects to reduce the risk of future fires may also be eligible under FEMA’s
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program.15
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
9 See CRS Report RL31734, Federal Disaster Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries.
10 See CRS Report RL31065, Forestry Assistance Programs.
11 33 U.S.C. §701b-1 and 16 U.S.C. §2203.
12 16 U.S.C. §§2201-2204.
13 For more information, see CRS Report R42854, Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation.
14 See CRS Report RS21302, Assistance to Firefighters Program, and CRS Report R40471, FEMA’s Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program: Overview and Issues.
15 42 U.S.C. §5133.
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Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery
a catastrophic wildfire occurring.16 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.17 The keys are
the structure itself (especially non-flammable roofing) and the landscaping within 40 meters of
the structure. Zoning could inform and enforce appropriate standards for wildfire protection for
structures.
Author Contact Information
Kelsi Bracmort
Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural
Resources Policy
kbracmort@crs.loc.gov, 7-7283
Acknowledgments
This report was originally written by Ross Gorte, retired CRS Specialist in Natural Resources Policy. The
listed contact has updated the original report and is available to respond to inquiries on the subject.
16 See CRS Report R40811, Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction.
17 See CRS Report RS21880, Wildfire Protection in the Wildland-Urban Interface.
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