Trump’s Cuts Are Leaving Us Unprepared For Climate-Fueled Wildfires In Georgia and Florida
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Washington, DC – As the climate crisis causes more heat waves and severe droughts across the country, massive wildfires — like those in Georgia and Florida this week — are becoming more frequent and deadly. Meanwhile, Trump is gutting the agencies that help communities mitigate and respond to wildfires.
Climate Power Senior Advisor Mia Logan issued the following statement: “As families in Georgia and Florida evacuate their homes and face increased health risks from wildfire smoke, Trump is gutting our wildfire response capabilities. With more heat waves and droughts expected heading into the summer, communities across the South will be at even greater risk of wildfires, but Trump is slashing the resources meant to keep us safe.”
As wildfires become more frequent, Trump’s cuts are weakening our wildfire response:
- The climate crisis has caused the frequency and intensity of extreme wildfires to more than double in the past two decades.
- Trump is gutting the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — weakening the federal government’s ability to properly mitigate, manage, and respond to wildfires at a moment when the risks are higher than ever.
- Trump plans to close regional USFS offices where wildfire risk is growing and will leave high-risk states to face intensifying wildfire threats with fewer federal resources.
- The USFS already lost thousands of jobs because of Trump’s cuts, weakening its capacity to prevent and respond to wildfires. In 2025, the agency lost 16% of its workforce, compared to an average 12% reduction across other federal agencies, due to Trump’s cuts.
- Delayed disaster response can make future extreme weather events more dangerous. Georgia’s two biggest wildfires have been fueled by debris from Hurricane Helene that was never cleaned up.