Trump funding freeze halts wildfire prevention work


FILE PHOTO: A palm tree burns at Sunset Beach during a wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of west Los Angeles, California, January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

(Reuters) -The Trump administration has halted funding for federal programs to reduce wildfire risk in western U.S. states and has frozen hiring of seasonal firefighters as part of broad cuts to government spending, according to organizations impacted by the moves.

The reduction in resources for wildfire prevention comes a month after devastating blazes in Los Angeles that are expected to be the costliest in U.S. history, with some expecting losses as high as $35 billion.

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