As California braces for a potentially dangerous fire seasonGov. Gavin Newsom says critical firefighting crews from the state’s National Guard are operating at just 40% of capacity following President Trump’s order to divert them to Los Angeles in response to federal immigration action.
Eight of the California National Guard’s 14 firefighting crews — known as Task Force Rattlesnake — have been deployed to L.A. as part of Trump’s federalization of the Guard, Newsom said this week. Task Force Rattlesnake is made up of more than 300 members of the California National Guard who work at the direction of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Only six crews are left to prepare for and potentially respond to fires, down from nine just a week ago, according to the governor.
“With peak fire season well underway across California, we need all available resources to protect communities,” Newsom said in a statement. “President Trump: rescind your illegal order and get the Guard back to the critical firefighting and prevention work that actually keeps communities safe.”
CalGuard officials said the troops were called to federal active duty under Title 10 authority, which empowers the president to activate National Guard troops for federal service under certain emergency protocols. Newsom has opposed these actions as an unwarranted and illegal infringement on the state’s authority.
Trump invoked Title 10 on June 7 when he announced he was deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles to “temporarily protect (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions.”
California Military Department spokesperson Carl Trujillo said in an email that once troops are federalized, they fall under federal command and control and “cannot be re-tasked by the state.”
“They won’t be able to return to their firefighting duties until they’re released from that federal status,” Trujillo said.
CalGuard’s reduced firefighting capacity comes as the president weakens other agencies that help the state prepare for and respond to wildfires, including the U.S. Forest Service — the largest federal firefighting entity. The Forest Service has lost about 3,400 employees since Trump took office, due to layoffs and buyouts and is contending with budget cuts, funding freezes and a renewed focus on timber productionamong other changes from the Trump administration.
The president has also made sweeping changes at the Federal Emergency Management Agencyincluding canceling grants and cutting staff, and has suggested disbanding the agency altogether as soon as this fall.
When asked about the CalGuard deployments, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Times “President Trump is showing (what) a real leader looks like.”
“President Trump has had to step in and save Californians from Gavin Newsom’s incompetence twice so far during the last six months,” Jackson said. “First, when Newsom was chronically unprepared to address the January wildfires, and just recently when Newsom refused to stop violent, left-wing rioters from attacking federal law enforcement.”
As tensions simmer, California is facing an active wildfire season that may be fueled by exceptionally warm and dry conditions in the months ahead. The latest outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center warns of “significant fire potential” in Northern California, the Sierra Nevada and several of the state’s coastal areas through September.
There are currently five active blazes in the state, according to Cal Fire. So far this year, the agency has responded to 2,990 fires that have burned through nearly 93,000 acres.
“These are some of our most committed members — passionate about wildland firefighting and proud to serve their communities through this unique state mission,” Trujillo said of Task Force Rattlesnake.
The president’s decision to invoke Title 10 and send troops to Los Angeles has little historical precedent, and as such has generated controversy.
Trump stated in his order that protests in response to immigration raids in L.A. threaten the safety of ICE agents and other government personnel. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said local law enforcement was already mobilized in the area and that federalizing troops was a “provocation.”
Newsom said similarly that sending in troops was “purposefully inflammatory.” He filed a lawsuit arguing that the president’s actions were unlawful and a violation of his authority under Title 10. A judge initially sided with Newsom, but a higher court has ruled in Trump’s favor. The case remains under review.
The president has deployed nearly 7,000 federal troops to L.A. over the last two weeks.
