Firefighter Shortage Across U.S. Poses ‘Dangerous’ Risks as Peak Wildfire Season Ramps Up

More than one-quarter of United States Forest Service (USFS) firefighting positions are vacant, creating shortages as extreme conditions lead to wildfires across the country, internal data reviewed by The Guardian has revealed.

USFS Chief Tom Schultz has repeatedly reassured the public and lawmakers that the agency is prepared for the high amount of wildfire activity predicted this year.

“The agency saying it is ‘fully staffed’ is dangerous,” a squad leader who is familiar with the data said. “Maxing out 19-year-olds with no qualifications isn’t the best strategy.”

With more than 41,000 wildfires already this year, the 5,100 unfilled positions — 26 percent of the USFS firefighting force — are especially concerning for regions like the Pacific Northwest that are facing extremely high wildfire risk in 2025.

USFS staffing reports from July 17 show a USFS vacancy rate of 39 percent during a year that has been almost 31 percent busier than average in terms of wildfire activity.

In the Intermountain region — the nation’s largest with nearly 34 million forested acres across parts of Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, California and Idaho — staff shortages are at almost 37 percent.

In Oregon and New Mexico, firefighters have described being pulled away from fire lines to do administrative tasks due to insufficient support staff, reported Reuters.

“There is definitely a lot of tension in the system this season,” said one fire captain, as The Guardian reported. “It’s sort of like that medieval torture device that stretched people – just one more crank.”

There have been reports of forest service crews having less than half the staff needed to be considered fully operational.

Six U.S. firefighters who asked to remain anonymous due to being barred from speaking publicly said staffing shortages had made it harder for firefighters to suppress large wildfires and have contributed to more risks and injuries for those working on the ground.

Many of the vacant positions are in leadership and middle management, which leaves crucial gaps in tactical planning and experience.

“We can’t send [a crew] without supervision because it is unsafe – if they don’t have a qualified supervisor that engine is parked,” said retired firefighter Bobbie Scopa, who was with the USFS for 45 years.

Less staff also leads to fatigue for firefighters who spend weeks on fire lines in extreme weather with little chance for rest and recovery.

“Folks are having to fill in and fill holes,” Scopa explained, “and they are going out without all the positions they need for a team.”

To be fair, the map looks like that pretty much every year. But to the point, now is not the time to mess w/ our ability to do our jobs. Purchasing (basic supplies) was never easy in the government; it’s worse now. Of course we dutifully jump thru hoops as elections have consequences, but damn.

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— Alt US Forest Service (@altusfs.altgov.info) July 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM

In recent years, the USFS has had a hard time recruiting and retaining qualified firefighters due to low pay and increasing job hazards. The agency lost almost half its permanent employees from 2021 to 2024.

The issue has been exacerbated by the Trump administration, which has slashed budgets and reduced support staff.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the USFS, has tried calling on employees with fire qualifications who took early retirement or resignation offers to return voluntarily for the season until their contracts end. However, when Schultz was questioned by senators about the issue, he said the numbers of employees who had decided to return were not yet available.

“We depend on those people to help run the large fires,” Scopa said, as reported by The Guardian. “Teams are not fully functional right now because we have lost so many people.”

Scopa said there had even been food shortages for firefighters in the field.

“I am hearing from firefighters who aren’t getting meals because they are having problems with the contracts for the caterers because we laid off people who worked in contracting,” Scopa said. “There was no efficiency in this – they just slashed it with an ax.”

And the staff reductions could get worse.

The Trump administration is proposing the consolidation of firefighters into a new Department of the Interior agency. Many firefighters support the concept, but there have been worries that emergency response management is taking a back seat while the process is being pushed through quickly.

“You all have trotted out another new reorganization in the middle of a very dangerous fire season,” said Democratic Senator from Oregon Ron Wyden to Schultz during a committee meeting, as The Guardian reported. “These infernos are not your grandfather’s fires – they are bigger and they are hotter. We need to address this critical preparedness gap.”

A state of emergency was declared in Oregon last week due to wildfire activity. The state has already been affected by several fires this year, including the 95,000-acre Cram fire, the largest in the country.

As of July 21, 83 large wildfires were being fought by firefighters across the country.

Approximately two weeks ago, the country’s fire managers moved its response to “Preparation Level 4,” the second-highest designation, which shows that firefighting resources are heavily committed.

Even though Schultz has assured Congress of the USFS’ preparedness for the intense wildfire activity, his tone shifted in an internal memo last week to agency leadership, as shared with The Guardian.

“As expected, the 2025 fire year is proving to be extremely challenging,” Schultz wrote. “We have reached a critical point in our national response efforts and we must make every resource available. At times like this we know the demand for resources outpaces their availability.”