In June, a U.S. Senate committee heard on recruitment and retention challenges in the federal wildland fire service.
Forest Service Deputy Chief Jaelith Hall-Rivera praised the large but temporary raises given to thousands of federal firefighters. That funding runs out at the end of September, and she was asked what would happen if Congress takes no action.
鈥淲ell, I think it would be absolutely catastrophic,鈥� Hall-Rivera responded. 鈥淚 stated earlier, and I'll restate it, our union is telling us they would expect 30% to 50% of our firefighting workforce would leave.鈥�
She added the agency would lose leaders with the most institutional knowledge.
"That would be incredibly difficult for us to replace because it takes years and years of experience to get that kind of knowledge and expertise.鈥�
Several federal firefighters echoed Hall-Rivera鈥檚 congressional testimony in an interview. The firefighters, who have worked in the West and other parts of the nation, say they鈥檙e distressed about the looming pay cuts.
Recently, some of them have helped in battling wildfires north of the U.S. border.
鈥淲e were up in Canada for a 21-day assignment in Alberta, which was just a super cool and unique experience,鈥� said Brigham Snow, a third-year crew member of Southeast Idaho鈥檚 Snake River Hotshots. 鈥淭hey use a ton of helicopters.鈥�
鈥淲e were on a big swamp fire, so that's like deep muskeg,鈥� fellow Snake River third-year Rose Salerno said. 鈥淲e were flying into our fire every morning and then jumping out into thigh-deep swamp water.鈥�
After graduating with a degree in anthropology and Chinese from the University of Colorado Boulder, Salerno did trail work that led to fire. Snow took an even more indirect route after studying math and economics at Amherst College.
鈥淚 actually worked in the private sector for a number of years, about three years after college, doing strategy consulting,鈥� Snow said.
He added that his corporate background has been the 鈥渂utt of jokes鈥� on the crew.
A break from breaking even
Both found their way into firefighting as pay and other issues were getting more attention. And then last season came the temporary raises, which meant as much as $20,000 more per year for some firefighters.
鈥淚 want to say it was probably between ($10,000) and $15,000 when it was all said and done,鈥� Snow said of how the raises impacted him.
鈥淚t makes you feel more secure with continuing with it,鈥� Salerno said. 鈥淚 think it made a big difference for a lot of people.鈥�
On top of car payments and rent, as a seasonal employee Snow has substantial monthly health insurance premiums in the offseason 鈥� around $500. He said all of that 鈥渆ats up a lot of that fire money.鈥�
鈥淭he pay bonus ended up being essentially the money that I was able to walk away with when it was all said and done and actually save and invest in my future,鈥� he added. 鈥淲hich is obviously extremely important.鈥�
While many were pushing for a broader , advocates are hopeful that legislation addressing the pay cliff will be passed in time. In July, Independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema introduced the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection , which would permanently raise base pay.
This month, Democratic Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse introduced a companion in the U.S. House, and both have bipartisan backing.
Money鈥檚 important
Meanwhile, federal firefighters are out on the line even though their raises could vanish in less than two months. Many 鈥� including the three firefighters interviewed for this story 鈥� have signed a demanding action from Congress.
Salerno said she and her colleagues face numerous immediate dangers. She noted the Craig Hotshots rookie who was struck and by a tree last year, one of of fireline fatalities in recent decades. There are also long-term health risks for wildland firefighters.
鈥淲hen you compare what is being risked and then be like, 'Oh, we're going to get like a 40% pay cut,' it feels kind of disrespectful to the community,鈥� she said.
Salerno and Snow have found a great deal to love about the job: the adventure and public service, colleagues who become fast friends. But both agreed that unless Congress acts, there will be more departures 鈥� possibly even their own.
鈥淎m I good doing this job and breaking even?鈥� Snow asked. 鈥淓ssentially funding my own health insurance and paying for this and that in the off season just to do the work? How important is that money?"
The draw of teamwork
Liz Skelly is in her eighth season as a wildland firefighter and this year she鈥檚 helping run a new in the Southeast.
She keeps coming back for the teamwork. Doing things 鈥� as she puts it 鈥� that would be 鈥渋mpossible鈥� on your own.
鈥淚've been a player of team sports my whole life, and that is really where I found the most fulfillment, to be honest,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 played every sport a woman can play growing up, in middle school and high school. In college, I played rugby, and then after college, I played roller derby.鈥�
She鈥檚 spent much of her career in California, where she said her district has struggled to staff all their engines full-time due to low pay and other challenges. That echoes the issues identified in a 2022 Government Accountability Office on barriers to hiring and keeping firefighters.
Tough conversations
Like Snow and Salerno, she said going off the pay cliff would make the situation even worse. She added, 鈥淸I]f this really does revert back to what we were paid before, people are just not going to be able to afford that.鈥�
She loves fighting wildfires, and never thought it would make her rich. But it also asks a lot of her, her wife and her other family members.
鈥淭here's a very large chunk of the year where I have to tell my spouse, 鈥業 can't promise that I'll be at that.鈥� And she's done a really good job with that,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it's definitely tough.鈥�
And losing the temporary raises would force 鈥渢ough conversations.鈥�
鈥淚f I can't support my family with the amount of time that I have to spend away from my family, then it no longer makes sense to stay in this field,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y family and I got into this because I love it, but ultimately I still love the rest of my life just as much as I love doing what I do for a living.鈥�
If the pay issue isn鈥檛 resolved 鈥� sparking the feared exodus 鈥� Skelly said 鈥渋t would be absolutely devastating to the American West. I'll tell you that.鈥�
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, 糖心vlog传媒 in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the .
