Fire

Wildland fires, as uncontrollable as hurricanes or floods, can both benefit and devastate. In the right place and time, they reduce fuel and improve habitats; in the wrong ones, they threaten lives, homes, and resources.

The Forest Service, with over a century of experience, manages wildland fires alongside federal, tribal, state, and local partners. Homeowners help by creating defensible spaces. This teamwork is critical as fire seasons lengthen, fires grow larger, and extreme behavior becomes common in the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

To meet these challenges, the Forest Service and its partners are implementing the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, focusing on resilient landscapes, fire-adapted communities, and effective wildfire response.