What We Do

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is responsible for wildfire prevention, response, and recovery across more than 500 million acres of Interior-administered and tribal lands. 

The cylindrical interior of an airplane is filled with strapped down boxes and a smokejumper wearing bulky tan gear with supplies in black bags strapped to his harness and secured in large pockets. One person in a helmet kneels by the open side door of the plane, leaning forward to look down at smoke rising from a wildfire below.

Lands managed by the Department of the Interior represent some of the most iconic, treasured landscapes in the United States.  

From the towering redwoods and sequoias of the West coast, over the expansive sagebrush sea, across the vastness of Alaska, to the diverse southern coastal plain, Interior manages roughly 480 million acres of federal land and has trust responsibility across approximately 55 million acres of tribal lands. 

Many of these areas are in peril from wildfires. Across the United States, wildfires are increasing in frequency, size, and severity, resulting in greater impacts to people, communities, and ecosystems. Extreme wildfires have caused: 

  • The loss of human life.
  • Billions of dollars in damage to homes, infrastructure, and community health.
  • Degradation and loss of fish and wildlife populations and their habitat.
  • Contaminated drinking water
  • Loss of recreational opportunities
  • Unhealthy smoke across the country. 

On these lands, U.S. Wildland Fire Service is responsible for reducing risk from wildfire, responding to wildfires, helping burned areas recovery, and improving wildfire resilience. These efforts protect lives and the American public’s treasured public lands. 

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