Firefighters sound alarm as US faces critical staffing shortage: ‘We don’t have enough people’
The US Forest Service is facing a critical staffing shortage, leaving leadership roles unfilled during an intense wildfire season. Firefighters report that the agency is struggling to keep pace with the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven fires.
Why it matters
Staffing gaps in federal firefighting agencies directly impact the government's ability to protect communities and manage millions of acres of public land during dangerous wildfire conditions.
A firefighter battles the Gann fire in Calaveras county, California, earlier this month. Photograph: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images A firefighter battles the Gann fire in Calaveras county, California, earlier this month. Photograph: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images Firefighters Firefighters sound alarm as US faces critical staffing shortage: ‘We don’t have enough people’ Firefighters describe being pushed to limit by a brutal wildfire season, with key leadership roles going unfilled
Prefer the Guardian on Google The US has faced a critical shortage of firefighters at the US Forest Service (USFS) this summer as thousands of fires erupted across the country.
Despite officials’ claims that the firefighting workforce was stronger than ever, the agency has failed to keep pace with escalating conditions and the catastrophic fires fueled by them, according to nine firefighters who spoke to the Guardian anonymously, because they are barred from disclosing the information to the public.
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