US Forest Service firefighters ramp up readiness for wildfire season

Source: Scripps News/AP

Posted: 5:42 p.m. EDT Apr 21, 2024


Forecasters are warning of what could be a busy wildfire season in the United States this year. As temperatures begin to warm and parts of the country get less rain through spring and summer, the U.S. Forest Service announced it will change its strategy for the firefights likely to come.

“Our historical traditional approach of overwhelming mass and bringing a whole lot of resources together to battle and to try to manipulate mother nature and wildfire isn't sustainable,” said Alex Robertson, Acting Director of Fire and Aviation at the U.S. Forest Service.  Robertson said as wildfires continue to burn more acreage and last longer, the agency will dispatch resources and personnel differently, so the most well-trained first responders are battling the most complex fires.

The agency’s new strategy is also aimed at better protecting first responders from physical dangers and the mental and emotional exhaustion that come with the job. “We know we have to prioritize,” said Robertson. “We have to work together to ensure that we're putting our resources in the most efficient, safest place to ensure that we're protecting values at risk. Those values are obviously are our responders.”

The U.S. Forest Service hopes to hire over 11,300 firefighters this year. The agency will also offer training to allow more teams to be ready for bigger disasters. It is also hoping to retain more permanent, over-seasonal, firefighter positions to ensure there is adequate staffing to respond to emergencies.

Read more: https://scrippsnews.com/stories/us-forest-service-firefighters-ramp-up-readiness-for-wildfire-season/