Fact Check: Did Gavin Newsom Cut $100M in Fire Prevention Funding?

Social media claims, citing a Newsweek article, say Newsom slashed $101M for fire prevention. Here's the truth.

Amid the devastation caused by wildfires in California, some social media posts have accused Governor Gavin Newsom of cutting significant funding for fire prevention. Many of these posts, including from Fox News, claim that Newsom slashed $100 million from the state’s fire prevention budget just months before the deadly Los Angeles fires.

These posts reference a January 10 article in Newsweek, which reported that Newsom signed a budget in June that reduced wildfire and forest resilience funding by $101 million. California Assembly Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump also echoed the claim, with Trump sharing a Breitbart article that cited Newsweek.

However, Newsom has denied the claim, labeling it a “ridiculous lie” on his website, California Fire Facts. While Newsom is correct in noting that the overall budget for California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has increased, it is true that funding cuts were made. The cuts were part of an overall reduction in state spending due to a budget deficit.

Understanding the Cuts

In 2021 and 2022, California enjoyed a budget surplus, which allowed for an additional $16.3 billion in funding to address various issues, including wildfires. Of that amount, $2.8 billion was earmarked for wildfire management and forest health. However, due to significant budget deficits in 2023 and 2024, the state was forced to reduce this funding by $191 million.

Despite the cuts, Cal Fire's budget for 2024-2025 remains substantial at approximately $4.2 billion. Most of this funding comes from state sources, but it also includes reimbursements from local departments and the federal government.

The $101 million reduction cited by Newsweek stems from a Legislative Analyst’s Office report summarizing Newsom’s proposed budget for 2024-2025. This proposal included cuts to previously allocated one-time wildfire funding. According to Rachel Ehlers from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, these cuts were to multiyear funding agreements set up during surplus years (2020-2024).

While the funding reduction is real, it’s important to note that these were cuts to one-time funding for wildfire prevention programs, not ongoing base funding for Cal Fire. The biggest cut was $46 million from a biomass-to-hydrogen pilot project aimed at improving forest health and wildfire risk management. Other cuts included $35 million for wildfire resilience projects on state-owned land and $28 million for state conservancy projects.

Growth in Cal Fire’s Budget

While Newsom's office points to these cuts, it also emphasizes the overall growth in the state’s firefighting and prevention budget. Over the past decade, Cal Fire’s base budget has nearly tripled, from $1.1 billion in 2014-2015 to $3 billion in 2023-2024. Cal Fire’s total budget, which includes resources for fire protection, emergency response, and fire prevention, has also grown from $1.7 billion in 2014-2015 to $3.7 billion in 2023-2024.

The number of staff members working in fire prevention has similarly grown from 5,756 to 10,275 over the past decade. Additionally, Cal Fire expenditures have risen during Newsom's tenure, from $2.74 billion in 2019-2020 to an estimated $4.59 billion in 2024-2025.

In November, California voters approved Proposition 4, a $10 billion climate bond that includes $1.5 billion for forest health and wildfire management.

Conclusion

While Newsom did oversee cuts to certain one-time wildfire funding allocations, his administration has also significantly increased overall fire prevention spending. The claim that Newsom “cut” $100 million is not entirely accurate, as it pertains to reductions in one-time funding, not a permanent decrease in Cal Fire's ongoing budget.