16,000 homes burned—and California’s wildfire fix might make it worse

Sacramento, California – Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation today allocating more than $170 million in state funding to wildfire prevention efforts and issued an executive order aimed at fast-tracking the work by easing environmental regulations.

The move comes as California braces for another potentially devastating fire season, following a catastrophic start to the year. In January, two major infernos tore through Los Angeles neighborhoods, marking the state’s second most destructive fire year on record. More than 16,000 homes and structures were damaged or destroyed, most in high-risk areas where development meets wilderness—known as the wildland-urban interface.

“California’s fire threat is accelerating, and so is our response,” Newsom said in a statement. “With this funding and streamlined approvals, we’re scaling up our vegetation management and forest thinning efforts to protect communities before peak season hits.”

The funds, drawn from a $10 billion bond measure approved by voters last year, were part of an early action budget bill quickly passed by the Legislature. Six state conservancies will receive the funds, with at least $85 million allocated to agencies in Southern California and $54 million focused on the Sierra Nevada. The money will be used for brush removal, forest thinning, and other fire mitigation work.

Each of four major conservancies—the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, State Coastal Conservancy, and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy—will receive about $31 million. The California Tahoe Conservancy and the San Diego River Conservancy will get approximately $23 million each.

Alongside the funding, Newsom signed an executive order enabling wildfire prevention projects to bypass certain environmental reviews. The order activates provisions in a March emergency declaration that suspends aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act for urgent projects.

“This money will go toward logging projects that skirt environmental review and harm forests and the climate,” said Shaye Wolf of the Center for Biological Diversity. “We should focus on home hardening and real community safety, not forest destruction.”

Still, state officials maintain that prescribed burns and vegetation management are vital tools. Newsom previously committed $2.5 billion for broader wildfire resilience efforts as fire seasons grow longer and more unpredictable, driven by the intensifying effects of climate change.