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

Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times on Sep 5, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Days after California announced that it will form a “West Coast health alliance” with Oregon and Washington, officials on Friday said the Golden State will also join a collaborative agreement with 12 other states, provinces and territories geared toward the prevention and suppression of wildfires.

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.”

First formed in 1998, the Northwest Compact’s existing members include Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Hawaii in the U.S., as well as the Canadian provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and the Yukon and Northwest territories. Nevada also joined the group this week, bringing the total number of members to thirteen.

The move comes as the Newsom administration escalates its efforts to insulate the state from a hostile federal government. Newsom and President Donald Trump in recent months have sparred over issues as wide ranging as immigration raids and California’s ability to set its own vehicle emission standards. On Wednesday, Newsom announced that California, Oregon and Washington were forming a regional health alliance “to uphold scientific integrity in public health” amid mass firings of doctors and scientists at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But wildfires remain a particular pain point for California. In January, crews struggled to contain a devastating firestorm that decimated portions of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. Firefighters are currently battling more than 25 active blazes in the state.

In Friday’s announcement, state officials noted that hotter temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme wind events have intensified fire risk in recent years, and said joining the Northwest Compact will give California access to additional firefighting resources and expertise during major incidents. The Compact also will facilitate California’s firefighters gaining experience with fire suppression efforts in other member regions, which “strengthens readiness at home,” officials said.

“Wildfire is no longer a problem that stops at our borders and state lines,” said Joe Tyler, chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in a statement. “By joining the (Northwest) Compact, we’re building stronger connections, sharing knowledge, and ensuring that when fires threaten, we can respond faster and more effectively.”

The Trump administration has recently weakened federal firefighting and disaster response resources. The White House this year laid off or bought out nearly 5,000 Forest Service employees as part of its broader move to restructure the federal government to reduce waste and save taxpayers’ money. At least 1,400 were later asked to come back.

The administration has made similar moves at the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — including layoffs, budget cuts and office closures — that experts say will hinder fire–forecasting and disaster–response capabilities, among other challenges.

California is halfway through its fire season, which traditionally runs from June to November but has been getting longer in recent years. The September outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center calls for above-normal wildland fire potential across much of California and surrounding states through at least the end of the month.

Earlier this week, nearly two dozen fires erupted following a lightning storm in Calaveras, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties. One destroyed multiple buildings in Chinese Camp, a historic gold mining town.