Burned-out firefighters are fleeing the US Forest Service amid labor disputes: ‘We are decimated’ | Firefighters

4 comments

1. Who didn’t know this was inevitable.

2. “The USFS has lost nearly half of its permanent employees in the last three years, according to data reported on by ProPublica.”

   “More than 7m acres (2.8m hectares) have burned across the US this year – a total 26% higher than the 10-year average – and the season shows no sign of slowing.”

   “Many firefighters have accumulated more than a thousand hours of overtime this year, with months of work still to go. Even the colder seasons, which used to be reserved for rest and recuperation, are filled with controlled burns – essential projects that nonetheless add to the exhaustion.”

3. I figured wildfire crews and workers would be collapsing this year, probably not as bad/fast as I was expecting but its a start. This shouldnt surprise anyone.

4. “A temporary pay raise issued through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which set minimums at $15 an hour and boosted salaries by the lower of either 50% or $20,000, has yet to be made permanent by Congress.”

   People risk their lives and work at hard labor in that heat for that? Congress bettter wake up before they all leave and let it burn.