Congressman Fong Celebrates Executive Order on Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) released the following statement applauding President Donald Trump for issuing an executive order to empower commonsense wildfire prevention and response:

“There are catastrophic consequences when State and local governments are unable to effectively respond to wildfires and, tragically, California has suffered those consequences due to reckless mismanagement, unnecessary bureaucracy, and a severe lack of preparedness,” said Congressman Fong. “This executive order takes meaningful action to address ongoing wildfire mismanagement, empower our nation’s firefighters, and streamline forest management efforts. I look forward to continuing my work in Congress to increase our resiliency to these disasters through innovative technologies and the elimination of dangerous inefficiencies.”

This directive streamlines federal wildfire capabilities, emphasizing technology-driven strategies and collaboration with state and local leaders. Additionally, it promotes improved governance, local preparedness, and innovative land management, including prescribed burns, fire-retardant use, and measures to reduce ignition risks from power systems. It also modernizes prevention, response, and performance metrics by ensuring effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and legal compliance.

Importantly, this executive order also compliments Congressman Fong’s ACERO Act, which would facilitate the use of advanced, unmanned aircraft technology to improve aerial responses to wildfires, including in low-visibility conditions when manned aircrafts are unable to mobilize. The ACERO Act was passed unanimously out of the Science Space and Technology Committee on June 11, 2025, by a vote of 34-0 and currently awaits consideration on the House Floor.