New Federal Wildland Fire Service Enhances Wildfire Response in Colorado

The newly created U.S. Wildland Fire Service is now a key federal partner in Colorado’s wildfire response, officials said last week, as the state prepares for an elevated fire season.

The agency, established in January under the Department of the Interior, consolidates wildland firefighters and programs from four Interior bureaus into a single unified organization as part of a nationwide reorganization of wildfire fighting assets.

Paul Hohn, geographic area fire chief for the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, said the combined services staffing remains stable.

“Staffing levels are the same as they were last year,” Hohn said. “Deferred resignation programs did not affect firefighters and support personnel, and budgets are similar as well.”

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, when he signed the order establishing the service in January, said that it would streamline decision-making, improve operational efficiency and enhance the department’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to wildfire threats.

Gov. Jared Polis called the agency “the new kids on the block” and said it is “very much part of the wildfire preparedness plan” he outlined at a Thursday briefing on the state’s 2026 wildfire season preparedness.

The service covers the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

U.S. Forest Service firefighting resources and personnel remain under the Department of Agriculture’s control.

The agency focuses on suppression, fuels treatment and prevention as part of broader federal reforms.

© 2026 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Visit www.gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.