PPI - Radically Pragmatic
  • Donate
Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Locations
    • Careers
  • People
  • Projects
  • Our Work
  • Events
  • Donate

Our Work

From Fire Lines to Front Lines: Addressing Overreliance on Military Forces for Wildland Firefighting

  • June 6, 2024
  • Alec Evans

Washington, D.C. — Climate change, coupled with flawed historical forestry practices, has exacerbated the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the United States. Due to a shortage of dedicated firefighting resources, military units — including active-duty forces — are deployed to suppress wildland fires ever more often. Meanwhile, the U.S. armed forces’ extensive foreign commitments show no indication of abating, especially considering China’s burgeoning military strength and Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine.

Today, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released a new report titled, “Redefining the Military’s Role in Wildfire Suppression,” which makes the case for increased investments in civilian firefighting resources and new modern forestry and fire reduction techniques in an effort to reduce reliance on the U.S. military. While military forces have served an indispensable role in U.S. fire suppression, creating new fire management plans and reinforcing nonmilitary firefighting assets will help bolster the nation’s ability to respond to intensifying wildfires while leaving the armed forces with leeway to address their primary commitments.

“The increasing demand for the military to engage in wildfire suppression threatens to undermine global force posture in a climate of growing instability and multipolarity,” said Alec Evans, Energy Policy Fellow at PPI. “It is critical for the U.S. to enhance its dedicated wildland firefighting resources in order to safeguard its military strength, especially as U.S. wildfires continue to intensify and the prospect of great power competition returns to prominence.”

The report evaluates the military’s role in wildfire suppression and examines the legal and command framework behind military wildland firefighting assignments, offering policy recommendations to prepare the U.S. military and civilian agencies for the growth of future fire seasons. As climate change increases the threat posed by wildfires and the armed forces become further engaged in great power competition, the United States must implement proactive reforms now to prevent greater future climate catastrophes.

Read and download the report here.

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.

###

Media Contact: Tommy Kaelin – tkaelin@ppionline.org

Related Work

In the News  |  March 24, 2025

Sykes in The Washington Post: Democrats once killed a pipeline in the Northeast. Now they may help Trump revive it.

  • Elan Sykes
Blog  |  March 4, 2025

Energy Costs Come First: Data by State

  • Elan Sykes
Press Release  |  February 11, 2025

PPI Calls for a Pragmatic, Cost-First Approach to Clean Energy Transition

  • Elan Sykes
Publication  |  February 11, 2025

Energy Costs Come First: A New Approach to Environmental Justice

  • Elan Sykes
Op-Ed  |  January 31, 2025

Marshall for The Hill: Climate Warriors Need a Smarter Strategy

  • Will Marshall
Blog  |  January 17, 2025

Republican Hypocrisy Puts Politics Over Wildfire Victims

  • Alex Kilander
  • Never miss an update:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
PPI Logo
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Donate
  • Careers
  • © 2025 Progressive Policy Institute. All Rights Reserved.
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
  • |
  • Privacy Settings