Wildfires Are Raging Bigger, but the Backup Is Shrinking

Wildfire season is heating up in the US, and crews are getting thin. The Guardian reports the US is facing a firefighter shortage, with more than a quarter of Forest Service positions currently unfilled. That's more than 5,100 missing roles—roughly 15% of its workforce, per Reuters—just as fire activity surges nationwide. Staffing is stretched so thin that some crews are operating at half strength, raising serious concerns about safety and response times. Yet Forest Service chief Tom Schultz recently assured lawmakers the agency is fully staffed and prepared for fire season despite a different story on the ground. "There is definitely a lot of tension in the system this season," says one fire captain. "It's sort of like that medieval torture device that stretched people—just one more crank."

The gaps are worst in high-risk regions like the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain zone, where vacancy rates hover around 40%. Many of the missing roles are leadership and mid-level positions, leaving fewer experienced people qualified to make tactical calls. And it's not a new problem: Between tough conditions, long hours, and low pay, the agency has lost nearly half its permanent workforce since 2021. Now, as 83 major fires burn across the country and the worst potentially to come, the Forest Service is scrambling to keep up. "The agency saying it is 'fully staffed' is dangerous," one squad leader said. "Maxing out 19-year-olds with no qualifications isn't the best strategy."

Recent cuts to the federal workforce haven't helped, with thousands of support staff taking early retirement or resignation incentives. While frontline firefighters were exempt, crews are now short on help with pay, logistics, and even food. "I had guys who were going to bed hungry after working 16 hours," the crew leader on the Alder Springs Fire tells Reuters. At the same time, the Trump administration is pushing a major restructuring plan that would shift fire responsibilities to states and move federal crews to a new agency. "You all have trotted out another new reorganization in the middle of a very dangerous fire season," said Oregon senator Ron Wyden to Forest Service leadership. "These infernos are not your grandfather's fires. They are bigger and they are hotter. We need to address this critical preparedness gap."