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- California joins a regional group that will share resources to combat increasingly severe wildfires.
- Hotter temperatures and shifting weather patterns have intensified wildfire risk across the state; crews are currently battling more than 25 active blazes statewide.
- The move comes as the Trump administration cuts U.S. Forest Service staff and funds, weakening federal firefighting capacity.
Days after California announced that it will form a “West Coast health alliance” with Oregon and Washington, officials on Friday said the Golden State will also join a collaborative agreement with 12 other states, provinces and territories geared toward the prevention and suppression of wildfires.
The Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact enables its U.S. and Canadian members to share firefighting resources and technology when blazes exceed the capacity of a single jurisdiction. The partnership comes as California grapples with larger, faster and more frequent fires fueled by climate change — and as the Trump administration cuts the staff and budget of the U.S. Forest Service, the largest federal firefighting entity in the nation.
“While the Trump administration retreats from firefighting, California is proud to join forces with our northwestern neighbors to fight catastrophic wildfire,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We’re all on the front lines of this worsening wildfire threat — and by joining our collective resources together, we will be even more effective in protecting our communities.”
First formed in 1998, the Northwest Compact’s existing members include Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Hawaii in the U.S., in addition to the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, as well as the Yukon and Northwest territories. Nevada also joined the group this week, bringing the total number of members to 13.
The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance to keep their states’ health policies unified and grounded in science.
The move comes as the Newsom administration escalates its efforts to insulate the state from a hostile federal government. Newsom and President Trump in recent months have sparred over issues as wide ranging as immigration raids and California’s ability to set its own vehicle emission standards. On Wednesday, Newsom announced that California, Oregon and Washington were forming a regional health alliance “to uphold scientific integrity in public health” amid mass firings of doctors and scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But wildfires remain a particular pain point for California. In January, crews struggled to contain devastating firestorms that decimated portions of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. Firefighters are working on more than 25 active blazes in the state.
In Friday’s announcement, state officials noted that hotter temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme wind events have intensified fire risk in recent years, and said joining the Northwest Compact will give California access to additional firefighting resources and expertise during major incidents. The compact also will enable California’s firefighters to gain experience from fire suppression efforts in other members’ regions, which “strengthens readiness at home,” officials said.
“Wildfire is no longer a problem that stops at our borders and state lines,” Joe Tyler, chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said in a statement. “By joining the [Northwest] Compact, we’re building stronger connections, sharing knowledge, and ensuring that when fires threaten, we can respond faster and more effectively.”
Wildfire in Northern California has scorched more than 12,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, burning homes in the Gold Rush town of Chinese Camp.
The Trump administration recently has weakened federal firefighting and disaster-response resources. The White House this year laid off or bought out nearly 5,000 Forest Service employees as part of its broader efforts to restructure the federal government to reduce waste and save taxpayers’ money. At least 1,400 were later asked to come back.
The administration has made similar moves at the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — including layoffs, budget cuts and office closures — that experts say will hinder fire-forecasting and disaster-response capabilities, among other challenges.
California is halfway through its fire season, which traditionally runs from June to November but has been getting longer in recent years. The September outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center calls for above-normal wildland fire potential across much of California and surrounding states through at least the end of the month.
Earlier this week, nearly two dozen fires erupted after a lightning storm in Calaveras, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties. One destroyed multiple buildings in Chinese Camp, a historic gold mining town.
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