Sept 18, 2020; Valyermo, CA, USA; Los Angeles County Firefighters 1106 work to extinguish the Bobcat Fire in Valyermo, California, one of the many neighborhoods near Angeles National Forest that have been threatened by the Fire. The Bobcat Fire, which has been burning since Sept. 6, is now 15% contained. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Hill-USA TODAY
Sacramento, California – As wildfires intensify across California, the state’s most critical line of defense — its highly trained National Guard firefighting crews — is operating at less than half its intended capacity. Known as Task Force Rattlesnake, the unit is currently functioning at just 40% strength, with only six of its 14 teams available to respond to fires. That’s down from nine last week, and far from the full force the state’s peak fire season demands.
The drop in capacity isn’t due to wildfire exhaustion or local budget issues. Instead, the reduction stems from an executive order from former President Donald Trump that controversially federalized portions of the California National Guard — a move widely criticized as both legally questionable and operationally inefficient. Eight of the 14 firefighting crews have been diverted to Los Angeles, pulling them away from regions actively battling wildfires and stretching CAL FIRE’s already burdened resources even thinner.
Governor Gavin Newsom called on Trump to reverse the order, denouncing it as “illegal” and counterproductive to California’s public safety priorities. “We need all available resources to protect communities,” Newsom said, underscoring the high stakes as wildfires threaten homes and lives across the state.
The strain on California’s firefighting infrastructure doesn’t stop there. Federal cuts to the U.S. Forest Service — also enacted during the Trump administration — have hollowed out the agency’s workforce. The service has lost 10% of all positions and a quarter of those tied to wildfire prevention and support, raising concerns about how both state and federal systems will respond when multiple fires ignite simultaneously.
Still, California has not been idle in its preparation. Over the past five years, CAL FIRE has nearly doubled its workforce compared to previous administrations, adding 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal employees annually. The state recently announced $72 million in new funding for wildfire mitigation projects and fast-tracked 20 vegetation management efforts across 8,000 acres.
California’s aerial firefighting fleet — the largest in the world — now includes a second C-130 Hercules airtanker, part of a growing strategy to blend rapid response with long-term forest management.
But readiness only goes so far without federal cooperation. While California ramps up investment and staffing, the loss of National Guard personnel to a politically motivated redeployment threatens to undercut those gains. In a fire season already marked by dry heat and high winds, every missing crew could mean the difference between containment and catastrophe.
