Firefighters are essential to protecting America’s public lands and waters. On National Wildland Firefighters Day, the Foundation for America’s Public Lands proudly honors the extraordinary dedication and sacrifice of wildland firefighters who risk their lives to protect our nation’s hardest working lands and waters. We are proud to support their mission and want to celebrate their important work.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) operates the Wildland Fire Management (WFM) which is the largest wildland firefighting program in the Department of the Interior. The WFM’s force accounts for 61 percent of the Department’s fire-related workforce, making it an essential force in the fight against increasingly intense and frequent wildfires.
Wildland firefighters are often the first responders on the scene. From the parachuting smokejumpers to the hotshot crews on the ground, the WFM crews implement highly technical and dangerous fire mitigation strategies. Firefighters are equipped with the strongest knowledge of the land they serve. In California, which is more than fifteen million acres of tough terrain to cover.
The Foundation for America’s Public Lands is committed to supporting the people who protect our public lands and waters. That is why, through our Lands to Love Catalyst Fund, we work alongside partners like SoCalGas to equip wildland firefighters in California with integral safety equipment and supplies to tackle fires before they start.
Thanks to SoCalGas’s generous support, fire crews across Central and Southern California are being resupplied with basic life support (BLS) kits, personal protective gear, communication radios, and other mission-critical tools to help ensure they have what they need to coordinate emergency responses and, most importantly, return home safely after every shift.
California, like other western states, is heavily impacted by wildfire season. In 2024 alone, more than 8,000 wildfires burned over one million acres—and 2025 is already off to a dangerous start, with 610 fires and nearly 60,000 acres burned in the first four months. As wildfires grow more frequent and severe, supporting frontline crews has never been more urgent.
Without their expertise and commitment, wildfires would devastate more than landscapes, they would erase habitats, eliminate recreational opportunities, and destroy nearby homes, ranches, and infrastructure.
We are proud to stand with them, and we are excited to continue growing our efforts—expanding partnerships that give back to public lands and people who give us so much.
To all wildland firefighters, thank you for your courage, your commitment, and your tireless service to America’s public lands.
