California joins firefighting compact with a dozen Northwest states and Canadian provinces

"The Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact enables its U.S. and Canadian members to share firefighting resources and technology when blazes exceed the capacity of a single jurisdiction. The partnership comes as California grapples with larger, faster and more frequent fires fueled by climate change - and as the Trump administration cuts the staff and budget of the U.S. Forest Service, the largest federal firefighting entity in the nation."

""While the Trump administration retreats from firefighting, California is proud to join forces with our northwestern neighbors to fight catastrophic wildfire," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "We're all on the front lines of this worsening wildfire threat - and by joining our collective resources together, we will be even more effective in protecting our communities.""

California joined a 13-member Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact to pool firefighting resources with U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories. The compact enables members to share personnel, equipment and technology when blazes exceed a single jurisdiction's capacity. Hotter temperatures and shifting weather patterns have increased wildfire size, speed and frequency across California, and crews are fighting more than 25 active blazes statewide. Nevada recently joined the group, bringing membership to thirteen. Federal U.S. Forest Service staff and budget reductions have weakened national firefighting capacity, prompting expanded regional cooperation to protect communities.

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