An overview of a National Wildfire R&D Program will be presented. The three main components of this program -- wildfire science, societal impacts and operational applications -- will be described in detail. Smoke management, prescribed burns, wildfire mitigation and fuels assessment will be highligted as cross-cutting themes. This new initiative will be supported and developed by national laboratories, universities, federal/state/county fire agencies, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Western Governor's Association.