Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has called for the exemption of seasonal wildland firefighters from the federal hiring freeze put in place by President Donald Trump. Concerns have arisen about federal readiness for future wildfires if firefighters are not hired. The U.S. Forest Service, a key firefighting agency, has been affected by the freeze, which has halted the onboarding of thousands of firefighters.
The wildfires in the Los Angeles area last month killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of structures, highlighting the importance of federal firefighters in responding to such disasters. As of Friday, wildland firefighters have not been exempt from the hiring freeze, impacting agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, which hire more than 15,000 seasonal firefighters each year.
Sen. Schiff emphasized the essential role of seasonal firefighters in ensuring public safety in fire-prone areas and expressed alarm that they were not exempt from the freeze. The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, stated that there were no exemptions within the agency, leaving seasonal firefighters at risk.
The Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Agriculture did not immediately respond to Schiff’s letter regarding the exemption of firefighters. The Department of the Interior, however, stated that they are working to hire key positions related to public safety to protect land, infrastructure, and communities from wildfires, indicating that exemptions may be considered for certain positions.
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