Updated June 27, 2018
Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery
Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires. Wildfires can
National Interagency Coordination Center, located at the
have some beneficial impacts on an ecosystem, but also
National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho,
often threaten homes and communities and force the
coordinates and allocates federal, state, and private forces
evacuation of thousands of people. Wildfires are often
(including the military, when called upon) and resources at
caused by lightning strikes, and may also occur when a
a national level. Geographic Area Coordination Centers
prescribed burn escapes control or through unauthorized
coordinate and allocate resources at nine regional levels.
human activities (deliberate or accidental). Over the last 10
The cost of these resources is then reimbursed as specified
years (2008-2017), wildfires have burned 6.6 million acres
in the cooperative fire protection master agreement, which
annually on average in the United States. In 2017, more
often lists several different methods to apportion costs, each
than 71,500 wildfires burned 10.0 million acres and
with different financial impacts.
destroyed more than 12,300 structures nationwide. More
than 65% (8,065) of the structures destroyed were
A state may also request assistance from the Federal
residences, and nearly 90% of the structures destroyed
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the
(11,000) were in a single state, California.
Department of Homeland Security for wildfires that began
on state or private lands. A governor could request an
Congress and other stakeholders have considered options
emergency declaration when a wildfire is burning out of
for federal support and assistance to address wildfire
control and threatens to become a major disaster. However,
suppression during a fire, post-wildfire recovery in the
the most frequent assistance provided at this stage from
aftermath, and land management activities to reduce the
FEMA is through the Fire Management Assistance Grants
risk of future catastrophic wildfires.
(FMAGs) as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act, 42
During the Fire
U.S.C. §5271 et seq.). Once issued, an FMAG declaration
The federal government is responsible for responding to
authorizes various forms of federal assistance—such as
wildfires that begin on federal lands. The Forest Service
equipment; personnel; and grants to state, local, and tribal
(FS), within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
governments—for the control, management, and mitigation
carries out wildfire management and response across the
of any fire on certain public or private forest land or
193 million acres of the National Forest System. The
grassland that might become a major disaster. The grants
Department of the Interior (DOI) manages wildfire
may reimburse up to 75% of the allowable suppression
response for more than 400 million acres of national parks,
costs for eligible fires. FMAG declarations, unlike some
wildlife refuges and preserves, other public lands, and
major disaster declarations, do not authorize assistance to
Indian reservations.
individuals and households. A state or tribe may also
request that the President declare the wildfire a major
Federal responsibility for wildfire suppression is intended
disaster under the Stafford Act, authorizing other assistance
to protect lives, property, and resources on federal lands.
and recovery programs, including assistance to individuals
Federal wildfire policy is to evaluate the risks to firefighter
and households.
and public safety and welfare—and to natural, ecological,
and cultural values to be protected—to determine the
The federal government also supports state and local efforts
appropriate response to wildfire. Depending on the risk
to evacuate areas threatened by wildfires. A presidential
assessment, the federal response may range from active
declaration triggers federal aid to protect property and
suppression to monitoring, as supported by the area’s land
public health and safety while attempting to preserve state
and resource management plans.
autonomy and responsibility. The National Planning
Frameworks, required to be created in the wake of
States are responsible for suppressing wildfires on
Hurricane Katrina, guide FEMA on how to assist state and
nonfederal (state, local, and private) lands, although the
local agencies with emergencies and disasters, including
response may be managed jointly for wildfires that
wildfires.
encompass comingled land ownership types (including
federal lands). The federal government supports the states
In the Aftermath
in several ways. Many states have partnerships with federal
Federal actions in the aftermath of a wildfire disaster can
agencies to provide wildfire suppression services through
take two principal forms: assistance for economic recovery
cooperative agreements. These cooperative fire protection
and assistance for ecological recovery. Economic recovery
agreements authorize federal and state partners to share
includes resources to repair damage to infrastructure and
resources—such as aviation equipment and personnel—
private property. A presidential declaration of a major
depending on ongoing need during a wildfire season,
disaster initiates a process for federal assistance to help
allowing for a coordinated interagency response that
state and local governments and communities recover from
deploys resources to areas of greatest critical need. The
the disaster. The nature and extent of the assistance depends
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Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery
on a number of factors, such as the nature and severity of
disasters. Projects to reduce the risk of future fires may also
the wildfire damages and the insurance coverage of the
be eligible under FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program.
affected parties.
Other issues include how to prevent a recurrence of
Ecological recovery includes resources for site
catastrophic fires or minimize the damage after one occurs.
rehabilitation and restoration. On federal lands, site
Conditions such as drought, lightning, and high winds make
rehabilitation routinely occurs under an emergency wildfire
preventing catastrophic wildfires impossible, but reducing
program through the FS or DOI’s Burned Area Emergency
fuel levels can reduce the potential damages from wildfires
Response protocols, as well as through regular land
and decrease the likelihood of a catastrophic wildfire
management activities. Activities include sowing areas with
occurring in some cases. However, severe wildfires cannot
quick-growing grasses as well as planting trees and other
be prevented in certain ecosystems, such as the chaparral of
activities to reduce erosion. They may also include
southern California and lodgepole pine in the northern and
removing dead or damaged trees threatening resources or
central Rockies, and in many cases, these fires are crucial to
public safety.
ecosystem functions. (Some tree species—lodgepole pines,
for example—require high temperatures to release their
On state and private lands, site rehabilitation is the
seeds.) Nonetheless, it is often possible to protect structures
responsibility of the landowner, but USDA has several
in such settings. Federal research and grants, particularly
programs that can provide assistance following wildfires or
for the FIREWISE program, have shown how homeowners
other natural disasters. For example, the Emergency
can protect their structures even while wildfires burn
Watershed Protection Program (administered jointly by the
around them. The keys are the structure itself (especially
Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation
nonflammable roofing) and the landscaping within 40
Service), as well as the Emergency Forest Restoration
meters of the structure. Local zoning typically is used to
Program and the Emergency Conservation Program (both
inform and enforce appropriate standards for wildfire
administered by the Farm Service Agency) can provide
protection for structures.
technical and financial assistance for stabilization, recovery,
and restoration activities, respectively. USDA also has
CRS Products
several agricultural assistance programs to help farmers and
CRS Report R43738, Fire Management Assistance Grants:
ranchers recover from production losses following natural
Frequently Asked Questions.
disasters.
CRS Report R42854, Emergency Assistance for
Agricultural Land Rehabilitation.
Some severely burned areas are at risk of landslides during
subsequent rainstorms, even after site restoration efforts.
CRS Report RS21212, Agricultural Disaster Assistance.
Little can be done to prevent such events, but monitoring
(usually the responsibility of the landowner) can provide
CRS Report RL34537, FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation
warning to homeowners to evacuate an area prior to a
Program: Overview and Issues.
landslide. After a landslide, other federal post-disaster
assistance might become available.
CRS Report R43784, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration
Process: A Primer.
Prevention and Mitigation
CRS Report R41884, Considerations for a Catastrophic
Numerous federal programs provide grants to states and
Declaration: Issues and Analysis.
local governments to prepare for wildfire emergencies. FS
provides financial and technical assistance for state and
CRS Report R41981, Congressional Primer on Responding
volunteer fire protection efforts. Through partnerships with
to Major Disasters and Emergencies.
state forestry agencies, these programs provide funds for
CRS Report R43537, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund:
pre-fire community wildfire protection planning and
Overview and Selected Issues.
preparation, hazard mitigation, equipment, and personnel
training. FEMA provides grants and training for firefighting
CRS Report R40811, Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction.
and for community responses to terrorist attacks and natural
Table 1. CRS Contacts
Issue Area
Name
Federal wildfire policy; federal forest management; Forest Service and DOI Wildfire programs
Katie Hoover
Disaster recovery and mitigation programs
Jared T. Brown
Disaster declarations; Disaster Relief Fund; Fire Management Assistance Grants
Bruce R. Lindsay
Agricultural disaster assistance; private land rehabilitation
Megan Stubbs
Assistance to Firefighters Grants
Lennard G. Kruger

IF10732
Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
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Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery


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