As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, the brave men and women on the front lines of these catastrophic blazes are deservingly hailed as heroes. Yet, federal wildland firefighters are frequently subjected to inconsistent compensation despite their essential role in protecting lives, communities, and wildlife. It is well past time to acknowledge their crucial contributions by bringing much-needed certainty to pay.

Current pay structures for wildland firefighters are inadequate. Many firefighters are classified as temporary or seasonal employees, meaning their compensation is unstable. This leaves them overworked and significantly underpaid, creating numerous challenges for recruitment and retention. Temporary pay raises and hazard pay adjustments have been extended on a short-term basis throughout the years, but a more permanent solution is needed to bring these heroes the stability they deserve.

The Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which just passed the House, increases wildland firefighter pay by over $330 million. This permanent pay fix accurately reflects the valued work the nearly 11,200 wildland firefighters do to protect communities nationwide. It also recognizes the need to enhance recruitment and stabilize retention of this critical workforce and will provide financial certainty.

The funding and provisions included in this legislation—most of which are part of bipartisan legislation previously introduced—fulfill Congress’s responsibility to maintain increased pay levels for our nation’s federal wildland firefighters. Rather than continuing temporary Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) supplemental payments, the funding in this bill will permanently address federal wildland firefighter pay and capacity.

Section 456 of this appropriations package permanently increases the pay scale for federal wildland firefighters, increasing pay for every GS level. Section 457 establishes premium pay for workers who respond to wildfire incidents, which is more than four times the regular hourly rate while engaged in wildland firefighting.

States throughout the West have seen their “fire seasons” turn into “fire years,” with significant wildfires occurring outside the traditional summer months. This shift demands a stable, professional workforce equipped to respond at a moment’s notice. To that end, the bill includes items supporting firefighters, such as a long-standing provision allowing pay cap waivers for high-ranking wildland firefighters who often work additional hours during fire season.

Another critical piece of the puzzle is improving forest management to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the first place. If our forests are properly managed, the likelihood of uncontrollable, large-scale wildfires decreases exponentially. Living in Idaho and Oregon, we have unfortunately seen the impacts of destructive wildfires firsthand. We have also seen that preventative measures and sound management practices dramatically decrease the cost of a fire season in terms of taxpayer dollars and lives and property lost.

The appropriations bill ensures the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has the resources needed to improve forest health, including $460 million for hazardous fuels treatments and $12 million for the Joint Fire Science program. The bill also provides funding for USFS Research and Development programs to study how fires act and create tools to arm our wildland firefighters with the technology needed to keep themselves safe.

Our wildland firefighters safeguard communities across the country. They endure grueling conditions. They confront raging blazes, unpredictable weather, and dangerous terrain, often working long hours with little rest. Nearly every major wildfire in the United States relies on a response from federal wildland firefighters, and we understand a permanent pay solution is needed to support them.

Congress must do everything it can to bring financial stability to wildland firefighters and maintain a stable workforce. We will continue standing up for firefighters nationwide who deserve stability and adequate pay for their brave work, keeping us all safe and secure.

Editor’s Note

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