Wildfire response falters as thousands of US Forest Service firefighting jobs remain vacant
Internal records show more than a quarter of U.S. Forest Service firefighting positions are unfilled as wildfires surge nationwide, contradicting agency assurances to lawmakers that staffing is at full strength.
Gabrielle Canon reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Vacancies have left more than 5,100 firefighting roles open, with some regions facing shortages of nearly 40%.
- Leadership and middle-management gaps are forcing inexperienced crews into high-risk situations, raising safety concerns.
- Budget cuts and resignation incentives under the Trump administration have deepened the staffing crisis during an already severe fire season.
Key quote:
“There is definitely a lot of tension in the system this season. It’s sort of like that medieval torture device that stretched people – just one more crank.”
— a fire captain with the U.S. Forest Service
Why this matters:
Wildfires are growing larger and more intense as climate change drives hotter, drier conditions across the United States. A shortage of trained firefighters and leaders heightens the danger, leaving communities vulnerable to faster-spreading blazes and threatening the safety of crews on the front lines. Without adequate staffing, fire suppression can lag behind fire growth, forcing mass evacuations and increasing property and ecological damage. These gaps also strain remaining workers, who face longer deployments and greater fatigue, compounding injury risks. The crisis comes as many regions are already grappling with water shortages, degraded air quality from smoke, and mounting costs for disaster recovery and health impacts.
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