Trump executive order calls for wildfire program 'consolidation,' strengthening mitigation

“Trump is rushing through this consolidation scheme during peak wildfire season,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the fire policy advocacy group FUSEE. “It's really confusing.”

One controversial provision in a draft of the order published by news outlets in April was omitted. It called for the “immediate suppression of fires.” Aggressive suppression is widely believed to be one of the principal culprits in today's wildfire crisis. Even the Forest Service has acknowledged that “an overemphasis on fire suppression” has been a contributing factor to the severity of wildfires. Ingalsbee said it was “a relief” to not see that language in the final order.