The Guardian spoke with nine firefighters who work on some of the nation’s biggest wildfires, and they say the federal government has failed them during a period when flames have made their jobs far more perilous. The United States still faces a serious shortage of federal firefighters, particularly in vital management positions, even as the Trump administration urges crews to move swiftly and decisively to halt the flames.
The Numbers Behind the Warning
Data from the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, a federal agency, shows wildfires are spreading faster than firefighters can keep up with at the highest rate in two decades. By mid-August, there had already been 12 entrapments — instances where flames rush into safety zones or block escape routes — the highest number in 20 years, according to Reuters.
This year has seen 14 reported on-duty fatalities, among them three firefighters who perished while fighting the Colorado Knowles fire. A fourth member of their crew succumbed to his injuries weeks afterward, and yet another suffered severe burns. That loss marked the deadliest entrapment in 13 years.
A fire ecologist who started his career as a wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service (USFS) has said safety officers have reported a sharp rise in burn injuries this year. Timothy Ingalsbee says the cause is crews being pushed into direct attack when it is not effective.
Shortages at Every Level
Last week, five senators wrote to the heads of the US Department of the Interior and the USDA, which oversees the USFS, saying personnel have had to take on extended assignments, requests for crews went unfilled across the West, and the agencies are now running short on their combined $6bn suppression budget with weeks still to go before the highest fire risks subside. The Department of the Interior and the USFS declined to answer requests for comment from the Guardian.
The correspondence stated that “teams have worked more fires than is safe, using temporary supervisory structures because fully qualified personnel are not available.” According to the record.
Senators Michael Bennet, Alex Padilla, Ron Wyden, Adam Schiff, and John Hickenlooper signed on, adding: “This is exceptionally concerning given the high wildland firefighter fatality rate this season.”
Division supervisors, taskforce leaders and heavy equipment bosses are crucial for managing major firefighting efforts, and their positions demand years of hands-on experience. The loss of these on-the-ground leaders has become very hard to fill. Firefighters say the federal government has not raised staffing numbers across the board to keep up with rising demands, leaving resources stretched thin year after year.
“We have had shortages for 20 years – and it’s only gotten worse,” said Bobbie Scopa, a retired fire chief who now serves as a vice-president for the firefighter advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. As the need for resources grew and limited numbers of leaders grew scarce, responsibilities were sometimes doubled up. “That sets everyone up for failure,” Scopa said. “It is not like we are trying to add bureaucracy – we are trying to keep people alive.”
Leadership Says Otherwise
Tom Schultz, the USFS chief, has repeatedly told lawmakers and the public that the agency’s firefighting workforce is at full capacity. That claim sits in sharp opposition to the image now on display.
“Our firefighting workforce is stronger than at any point in recent years,” Schultz said in testimony to a congressional subcommittee in July. “We are fully staffed and equipped to respond aggressively to every unplanned ignition.”
| Role | Status |
|---|---|
| Essential management positions | Large gaps |
| Taskforce leaders | Extremely difficult to replace |
| Division supervisors | Decades of experience needed |
| Heavy equipment bosses | Experience required |
Firefighters travel from blaze to blaze over a period of months, and according to several of them, the Trump administration has favored more aggressive tactics, sometimes putting firefighter safety at risk in the process.
This year, both Brooke Rollins, the US agriculture secretary, and Doug Burgum, the US secretary of the interior, have put out directives that place priority on direct attack, a strategy that carries more risk. Officials have further ordered a return to quick and complete suppression, turning away from past policies that took a gentler approach to holding back flames that might actually benefit a landscape.
Agency leaders say a stronger approach is needed to protect both firefighters and communities, given that conditions are already setting the stage for more danger.
What Comes Next
Toward the close of the season, the $6bn suppression budget is being used up just as the greatest fire hazards remain weeks away from easing. The workforce has been characterized as fully staffed, yet firefighters describe pushing past safe limits. The next few weeks will reveal whether those descriptions hold true against the reality on the ground.
Firefighters have made a plain warning: the system is already strained, and the season still has days to go.
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