U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins issued a memorandum directing the Forest Service to increase wildfire readiness and strengthen firefighter safety for the 2026 fire year.
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz confirmed that every unplanned ignition on national forest lands will be managed under a full suppression strategy during the upcoming season.
Firefighters will utilize direct tactics when conditions allow and move to indirect tactics when necessary based on safety principles and risk assessment processes.
Operational readiness follows a 2025 season where the agency surpassed hiring targets for firefighters and issued more than 22,000 red cards.
Despite a high number of fire starts in 2025, the total acres burned remained at nearly half of the 10-year average.
Schultz noted: “This year offers us the chance to build on the progress we made in 2025 to strengthen our wildfire response and reduce risk across landscapes.”
“Predictive services indicates the 2026 fire year will challenge us.”
The agency will retain its existing Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC) structure to maintain national incident coordination during an ongoing reorganization.
Field-based operational firefighters will experience no interruptions or changes to their positions as the program reports to the Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management.
Prescribed fire operations for the 2026 fiscal year will rely on risk-informed decisions through dialogue between local supervisors and agency leadership at Preparedness Level 3 and above.
New shared stewardship agreements have been established in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah to coordinate fuels treatment across different land ownerships.
The agency is partnering with organizations including the National Alliance of Forest Owners and Sierra Pacific Industries to construct fuel breaks on national forests and adjacent private lands.
A dedicated wildfire liaison will be assigned to incidents to coordinate specifically with the ranching community under the USDA-DOI Grazing Action Plan.
Schultz said: “Active forest management, coupled with our continued focus on prevention, and continuing our crucial hazardous fuels reduction efforts, will make the difference needed to restore resilient landscapes, especially in high-risk areas.”
“I expect leaders at all levels to prioritize firefighter and public safety at the core of all decisions.”
“Aggressive, coordinated response to keep unwanted fires small.”
The agency intends to use science-based tools including potential operational delineations to ensure hazardous fuels reduction occurs in the highest risk areas.
