Iran War And Tariffs Are Affecting States’ Abilities To Combat Wildfires – OpEd

 May 6, 2026  

By Matt Sedlar

According to a report from NPR last week, the US Forest Service likely won’t have enough in its aviation fuel budget to handle wildfires this year. The culprit? Rising oil prices. NPR reports that fuel costs for planes engaged in water-dropping missions during last year’s wildfires totaled $50 million, a cost that is likely to double this year. With the Forest Service’s reduced budget, this could mean fewer flying hours or the inability to deploy crews. But NPR’s story only grazes the surface of the impact of Trump’s policies on combating wildfires.

Rising oil prices don’t only affect aviation fuel. There is also the transport of personnel and equipment, including heavy machinery used for firefighting.  Wildfires can occur in remote areas, where access to water isn’t always guaranteed. Heavy engines can carry 750-850 gallons of water, and “Super Heavy” engines can carry up to 2,000 gallons. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, a single crew operating a Super Heavy wildland fire engine can suppress over five miles of fireline during a single work shift.

But a heavy engine, like the USDA Forest Service Type 3 Model 326, has between a 70 and 100-gallon diesel fuel tank and, on average, gets 3 to 8 miles per gallon. Plus, pumping water requires engines to run for hours, which consumes even more fuel. As of writing this, the cost of diesel has risen 53.7 percent since the start of the war — from $3.67/gallon to $5.64/gallon. To put this in perspective, the cost of filling a 70-gallon tank went from about $256 to almost $400. Local fire departments facing budget crunches may have to limit engine run time or decide which engines can be deployed based on their budgets.

And fire engines aren’t the only type of heavy machinery. Crews often use bulldozers to create firebreaks that prevent fires from spreading further. During the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise, CA,  a single bulldozer driver cleared burnt vehicles from the evacuation route and saved a sheriff’s deputy and two nurses who had become trapped. A small dozer, such as a Caterpillar, has a 50-gallon diesel tank and uses 4 to 6 gallons/hour.

If the price of oil weren’t enough, then there are the costs associated with Trump’s tariffs. Disasters don’t adhere to political borders, and Canadian crews often participate in wildfire suppression near the US-Canada border. The US also often uses Canadian planes, parts, and equipment to fight wildfires. But Trump’s hostility toward Canada has included, earlier this year, threats to decertify planes from the country and a 50 percent tariff on aviation parts. With his trade policies, Trump has isolated the US, and the result may, in the future, place more pressure on localities if neighboring countries refuse to help — a very unlikely, if not entirely impossible, scenario.

The challenge of combating wildfires under Trump’s policies involves much more than just the cost of aviation fuel. And all these recent economic pressures are piled atop budget and staffing cuts and on the extent to which the administration has pursued immigration enforcement, even amongst firefighters during an active fire.

Ultimately, Trump’s various policies have real-life implications for Americans. His war with Iran and his trade war with the rest of the world have driven up the cost of combating wildfires, which will eventually be passed on to taxpayers. His policies also have the potential to slow response times and force firefighting agencies to base their operational decisions on the limitations of available resources, leading to more deaths and injuries for citizens and firefighters alike. 

The escalating price of another forever war and trade protectionism is being paid not just by the taxpayer, but by every community facing the direct threat of wildfires. And with the hot and dry summer season fast approaching, it’s going to get worse.

• This article was published at CEPR