The Department of the Interior announced it is taking the next step toward establishing a U.S. Wildland Fire Service to improve coordination, decision-making and wildfire response across public and Tribal lands.
Interior said a unified service would streamline operations, increase efficiency and strengthen protection of lives, communities and critical infrastructure through a more integrated approach to wildland fire management.
The agency selected Brian Fennessy to oversee the effort. Fennessy brings decades of wildfire and structural fire experience, most recently serving as chief of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and previously leading the Orange County Fire Authority. His career began with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, where he led suppression, aviation and emergency operations during major fire seasons.
