Forest Service elevates wildfire leadership, names Sarah Fisher Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service today announced Sarah Fisher as its Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management. As the single executive overseeing the world’s largest wildland fire organization, Fisher will be responsible for all aspects of the agency’s fire, fuels and aviation programs.
“For too long, the management of our wildfire program has been buried under layers of bureaucracy,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “With this change, we are elevating the leadership of our fire organization to where it belongs, at the highest levels of the agency. Sarah has done an exceptional job as national fire director and is absolutely the right person to lead through this moment.”
Fisher’s 32-year career spans all aspects of wildfire management with both the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. Serving on incident management teams and supporting Incident Business Management for over 20 years prepared her to lead as the deputy director for Fire and Aviation Management in 2021. Three years later, she became director for Fire and Aviation Management.
Chief Schultz expressed his appreciation for the leadership from acting Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management, David Lytle, who has been asked to serve on special assignment to the Chief’s Office. Fisher formally replaces Christine Dawe, who retired in December 2025.
These changes reflect the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s goals to eliminate redundancies by consolidating oversight under a single executive and streamlining the overall function of the interagency wildfire response system, elevating the previous director-level role.
“Aligning under a single executive, as directed by Secretary Rollins, will increase our efficiency and improve our wildfire preparedness and response,” said Chief Schultz. “Sarah’s deep understanding and support for the wildland firefighting community means she will put our people first and deliver results for communities facing increasing wildfire risks.”
The Forest Service, in coordination with partners, can mobilize more than 28,000 wildfire responders. The agency administers all the interagency logistical support contracts for wildland fire, including more than 22,000 contracted resources and 2,500 vendors. It also manages nearly all large firefighting aviation assets for the federal government.
Under Chief Schultz, the Forest Service is doubling down on wildfire readiness, emphasizing rapid, aggressive initial response to keep fires small, tighter coordination with interagency partners, expanded active forest management and prescribed fire, and strengthened post-fire recovery.