As reported by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), wildfire threats are now affecting regions across the United States and require a national response.
Speaking at the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) 2025 Conference, IAFC President Chief Josh Waldo said that fire activity over recent months demonstrates how wildfire is no longer a western issue. He referenced recent incidents in South Carolina, Texas, Florida, and New York.
Waldo said: “It doesn’t matter if you’re on the West Coast, the East Coast, the South…we’ve seen fires in South Carolina, Texas, Florida. We have a national problem on our hands.”
Waldo said fire departments cannot solve the wildfire problem alone and urged greater participation from planners, developers, and homeowners in prevention strategies.
He said: “This isn’t something that the fire service can solve on its own. We need community planners, community leaders, developers, homeowner associations…anybody that has any say on how we build our communities.”
He cited post-wildfire recovery in Los Angeles as a chance to apply stronger building codes and mitigation measures to reduce future risk.
Waldo stressed the importance of resource sharing across jurisdictions through a more structured mutual aid system.
He said: “We call it INMAAS. But what we need to do is figure out how do we move resources efficiently, how do we get the closest, most appropriate resource to your emergency.”
He said the rise in development within interface zones adds urgency to pre-fire planning and highlights the need for collaborative response strategies.
Waldo said addressing wildland firefighter staffing issues is essential, pointing to recent steps taken to improve federal firefighter pay.
He said: “We need to get our seasonal wildland firefighters…positions filled. It was great to see some steps taken to address the pay issues with our federal firefighters.”
He also called for the unfreezing of community preparedness and mitigation grants to match the year-round nature of wildfire activity.
Waldo said: “We don’t have fire season anymore. Wildfire is a year-round problem.”
IAFC President Chief Josh Waldo stated at the WUI 2025 Conference that wildfire risk in the U.S. now affects regions nationwide, citing fires in Texas, South Carolina, Florida, and New York.
He said the fire service alone cannot address the growing threat and urged engagement from community planners, developers, and local authorities.
Waldo encouraged application of building codes and mitigation strategies during post-fire reconstruction efforts.
He highlighted the need for a national mutual aid system to move response resources more effectively.
Waldo said federal firefighter staffing and pay improvements are essential and called for renewed access to community preparedness and mitigation grants.
The IAFC hosted the conference to bring together U.S. and international fire professionals to share strategies on wildfire risk reduction and response.
