The American West Faces a Fiery Future
While Trump considers shutting FEMA, wildfires have become more frequent and widespread - as has FEMA aid.
While Trump considers shutting FEMA, wildfires have become more frequent and widespread - as has FEMA aid.
Feb. 9, 2025
Los Angeles is still reeling from last month’s devastating wildfires that raged across the city, leaving entire neighborhoods in rubble. Twenty-nine people were killed, and tens of thousands of residents suddenly found themselves without homes.
It’s the kind of once-in-a-century disaster that is becoming more frequent because of climate change. As conditions become hotter and drier, vegetation dries up and fires become more likely
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared over 1,600 wildfire disasters since 1953, with numbers increasing in recent years.
FEMA is one of the first responders to wildfires, removing debris and providing emergency shelters, coverage for medical expenses and childcare, and financial assistance for home damages. Since November 2002, when FEMA started recording the data, the agency has helped over 2,000 communities (divided by zip code) across the nation respond to wildfires.
The data shows more areas in the American West experiencing wildfires in recent years. While many of the same places, such as communities around Los Angeles, continue to fall victim to wildfires, almost a thousand zip codes that had not experienced any fire from 2002-2019 also had at least one wildfire in the last five years.
FEMA was created in 1979 under the Carter administration and has helped thousands of communities recover from disasters including hurricanes, floods and winter storms. The agency, which is managed by the Department of Homeland Security, also provides millions of Americans flood insurance, and during the pandemic, FEMA provided over $61 billion for emergency medical care, testing, vaccines, personal protective equipment and shelter.
But in January, President Donald Trump suggested shuttering FEMA, repeating false claims that the agency “depleted” its aid through helping migrants. He advocated for states to take on the full burden of disaster recovery - something state emergency managers have said they don’t have the resources or capabilities to do.
On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said she would recommend Trump “get rid” of FEMA as it currently exists, and Elon Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency has recently gained access to sensitive information on FEMA grants.
Since 2002, FEMA has helped about 4,300 cities across the nation respond to wildfires, including providing over $400 million for tens of thousands of people to make their homes safe and livable again.
The minimum household assistance for both homeowners and renters was $700, but individual renters have received up to $7,500 and homeowners up to $42,000, depending on their needs.
The agency also provides grants for communities to develop measures to increase their resilience to future disasters - critical support as the warming climate puts more communities at risk of fires. If FEMA is shut or hobbled, states may find it difficult to prevent the worst impacts of extreme weather from bludgeoning their communities.