As wildfires worsen, Trump administration revives discredited policy to stomp out all fires quickly

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 30, 2026

The deaths of three U.S. government firefighters in a Colorado wildfire are casting a spotlight on the Trump administration’s creation of a new federal fire service and its revival of a discredited policy to stomp out all wildfires quickly. The consolidation of thousands of personnel into the fire service has sown confusion among firefighters about who their bosses are and what their responsibilities should be. And the administration’s focus on “full suppression” of new fires marks a sharp reversal from a decades-long trend toward embracing flames as a tool. The new agency and policy won’t eliminate catastrophic wildfires that occur due to dense forests where people are increasingly moving and extreme weather caused by climate change.