‘We’re near a breaking point:’ firefighters say US government is failing them amid intense wildfire season
Summary
Firefighters in the United States say the federal government is not providing enough support during a very dangerous wildfire season. There are not enough skilled firefighters or leaders, and crews are working long, risky shifts, which has caused more injuries and deaths.Key Facts
- The US has a serious shortage of federal firefighters, especially in leadership roles.
- The Trump administration is pushing crews to fight fires quickly and aggressively.
- Firefighters report extreme fatigue and rising accidents due to nonstop fire assignments since April.
- This year has seen the highest number of firefighter entrapments in 20 years.
- Fourteen firefighters have died on duty this year, including those involved in Colorado’s deadly Knowles fire.
- Safety experts say more injuries are caused by being forced into risky firefighting methods.
- A letter from five senators warned that firefighter teams are overloaded and the $6 billion fire suppression budget is nearly used up.
- The US Department of the Interior and the US Forest Service did not respond to requests for comment.
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