Updated July 11, 2019
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 they
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 (2009-2018), wildfires have burned 7.0 million acres
in the cooperative fire protection master agreement, which
annually on average in the United States. In 2018, more
often lists several different methods to apportion costs, each
than 58,000 wildfires burned 8.8 million acres and
with different financial impacts.
destroyed nearly 25,800 structures nationwide. More than
70% (18,130) of the structures destroyed were residences,
A state may also request assistance from the Federal
and approximately 94% of the structures destroyed (17,130)
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the
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 Department of the
equipment, personnel, and grants to state, local, and tribal
Interior (DOI) manages wildfire response for more than 400
governments—for the control, management, and mitigation
million acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and
of any fire on certain public or private forest land or
preserves, other public lands, and Indian reservations. The
grassland that might become a major disaster. The grants
Forest Service (FS), within the U.S. Department of
may reimburse up to 75% of the allowable suppression
Agriculture (USDA), carries out wildfire management and
costs for eligible fires. FMAG declarations, unlike some
response across the 193 million acres of the National Forest
major disaster declarations, do not authorize assistance to
System.
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. Information on active wildland fires may be
encompass comingled land ownership types (including
found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov.
federal lands). The federal government supports the states
in several ways. Many states have partnerships with federal
In the Aftermath
agencies to provide wildfire suppression services through
Federal actions in the aftermath of a wildfire disaster can
cooperative agreements. These cooperative fire protection
take two principal forms: assistance for economic recovery
agreements authorize federal and state partners to share
and assistance for ecological recovery. Economic recovery
resources—such as aviation equipment and personnel—
includes resources to repair damage to infrastructure and
depending on ongoing need during a wildfire season,
private property. A presidential declaration of a major
allowing for a coordinated interagency response that
disaster initiates a process for federal assistance to help
deploys resources to areas of greatest critical need. The
state and local governments and communities recover from
https://crsreports.congress.gov

---

Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery
the disaster. The nature and extent of the assistance depends
preparation, hazard mitigation, equipment, and personnel
on a number of factors, such as the nature and severity of
training. FMAG declarations authorize statewide hazard
the wildfire damages and the insurance coverage of the
mitigation through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant
affected parties.
Program. FEMA also provides grants and training for
firefighting and for community responses to terrorist attacks
Ecological recovery includes resources for site
and natural disasters. Projects to reduce the risk of future
rehabilitation and restoration. On federal lands, site
fires also may be eligible under FEMA’s Pre-Disaster
rehabilitation routinely occurs under an emergency wildfire
Mitigation Program.
program through the FS or DOI’s Burned Area Emergency
Response protocols, as well as through regular land
Other issues include how to prevent a recurrence of
management activities. Activities include sowing areas with
catastrophic fires or minimize the damage after one occurs.
quick-growing grasses as well as planting trees and other
Conditions such as drought, lightning, and high winds make
activities to reduce erosion, to reduce impacts to water
preventing catastrophic wildfires impossible, but reducing
resources or mitigate the risk of a landslide. They may also
fuel levels can reduce the potential damages from wildfires
include removing dead or damaged trees threatening
and decrease the likelihood of a catastrophic wildfire
resources or public safety.
occurring in some cases. However, severe wildfires cannot
be prevented in certain ecosystems, such as the chaparral of
On state and private lands, site rehabilitation is the
southern California and lodgepole pine in the northern and
responsibility of the landowner, but USDA has several
central Rockies, and in many cases, these fires are crucial to
programs that can provide assistance following wildfires or
ecosystem functions. (Some tree species—lodgepole pines,
other natural disasters. For example, the Emergency
for example—require high temperatures to release their
Watershed Protection Program (administered jointly by the
seeds.) Nonetheless, it is often possible to protect structures
Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation
in such settings. Federal research and grants, particularly
Service), as well as the Emergency Forest Restoration
for the FIREWISE program, have shown how homeowners
Program and the Emergency Conservation Program (both
can protect their structures even while wildfires burn
administered by the Farm Service Agency) can provide
around them. The keys are the structure itself (especially
technical and financial assistance for stabilization, recovery,
nonflammable roofing) and the landscaping within 40
and restoration activities, respectively. USDA also has
meters of the structure. Local zoning typically is used to
several agricultural assistance programs to help farmers and
inform and enforce appropriate standards for wildfire
ranchers recover from production losses following natural
protection for structures.
disasters.
CRS Products
Some severely burned areas are at risk of landslides during
CRS Report R40884, Wildfires: CRS Experts.
subsequent rainstorms, even after site restoration efforts.
Little can be done to prevent such events, but monitoring
CRS Report R43738, Fire Management Assistance Grants:
(usually the responsibility of the landowner) can provide
Frequently Asked Questions.
warning to homeowners to evacuate an area prior to a
CRS Report R42854, Emergency Assistance for
landslide. After a landslide, other federal post-disaster
Agricultural Land Rehabilitation.
assistance might become available.
CRS Report RS21212, Agricultural Disaster Assistance.
Prevention and Mitigation
Numerous federal programs provide grants to states and
CRS Report R43784, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration
local governments to prepare for wildfire emergencies. FS
Process: A Primer.
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
pre-fire community wildfire protection planning and
CRS Report R40811, Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction.
Table 1. CRS Contacts
Issue Area
Name
Federal wildfire policy; federal forest management; Forest Service and DOI Wildfire programs
Katie Hoover
Disaster declarations; Fire Management Assistance Grants
Bruce R. Lindsay
Disaster recovery programs
Elizabeth M. Webster
Disaster mitigation programs
Diane P. Horn
Agricultural disaster assistance; private land rehabilitation
Megan Stubbs
Assistance to Firefighters Grants; Emergency Communication
Jill C. Gallagher

Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
https://crsreports.congress.gov

---

Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery

IF10732


Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10732 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED

---