Firefighters pushed to breaking point

Federal crews battling enormous wildfires say the government is failing them as supercharged blazes make their jobs exponentially more dangerous. Spread-thin teams are being pushed to their limits amid an unrelenting year of fire.

Staffing gaps at critical levels

The US faces a critical shortage of federal firefighters, with especially large gaps in essential management positions like taskforce leaders and division supervisors that require decades of experience.

Accidents and fatalities spike

There have been 14 on-duty fatalities this year, including three firefighters who died battling Colorado's Knowles fire. Accidents have surged as widespread fatigue sets in after near-nonstop assignments since April.

“Accidents have been through the roof”

Entrapments at 20-year high

By mid-August there had been 12 entrapments, exceptionally dangerous situations when flames roar into safety zones or block escape routes. That's the highest number in 20 years, with wildfires overrunning firefighters at the highest rate in two decades.

Aggressive tactics causing injuries

Fire ecologist Timothy Ingalsbee reports a notable spike in burn injuries this year, which he attributes to crews being pushed into aggressive direct attack when it's not effective or safe.

Budget depleting fast

Five senators warned that federal agencies are facing depletion of their combined six billion dollar suppression budget with weeks left before the highest fire risks subside. Personnel have worked extended assignments with unfilled crew requests across the west.

Leadership says workforce is full

Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz testified in July that the agency's firefighting workforce is at full capacity and fully staffed. This directly contradicts accounts from firefighters and advocates describing severe shortages.

“Our firefighting workforce is stronger than at any point in recent years”

Trump admin prioritizes aggressive tactics

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued directives prioritizing direct attack strategies and fast suppression, shifting away from softer approaches that could benefit landscapes.

Experts warn of dangerous cycle

Fire ecologists and advocates argue aggressive tactics will exhaust limited resources and perpetuate a cycle that contributed to the current crisis by leaving more vegetation on parched landscapes to burn in the future.

Killing people for last few percent

Firefighters already stop 98 percent of fires before they spread. The administration wants to tighten that gap, but retired fire chief Bobbie Scopa warns this approach will kill people trying to suppress the final few percent.

“We're going to kill people trying to put out those last couple percent”

Record fire season with no relief

By mid-September, roughly 54,400 blazes burned through more than 8.4 million acres, 149 percent of the 10-year average. The US was at the highest preparedness level for 48 consecutive days, close to double the 10-year average.

Sleep deprivation takes mental toll

Long seasons of sleep deprivation, smoke inhalation, exhaustion and malnutrition have cumulative effects that impact firefighters' ability to think clearly and act decisively to keep themselves and crew members safe.