EPA Seeks to Reduce ‘Unnecessary Burdens’ on Wildfire Prevention Efforts

The decision comes after the recent wildfires in Los Angeles caused catastrophic damage to residents and businesses.

Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, Calif. on Jan. 7, 2025. David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to minimize wildfire risk across the country, seeking to ensure that fire-prone areas are not disadvantaged due to stringent regulations that thwart wildfire prevention efforts.

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin asked staff to “revisit the Obama-Biden Administration’s Exceptional Events rulemaking and prioritize the allowance of prescribed fires within State and Tribal Implementation Plans,” the agency said in a March 12 statement. The exceptional events rule is related to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).