Palm Springs Desert Sun: California Senator says Trump hiring freeze affecting federal wildland firefighter jobs
By James Ward and Trevor Hughes
Weeks after the devastating California wildfires, wildland firefighters around the country say they’ve had job offers rescinded or frozen because of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 federal hiring freeze.
Although the freeze exempted public safety workers, federal wildland firefighters were not covered by the exemption. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, from California, joined multiple other Democratic members of Congress in demanding the Trump administration expand the exemption and explain the hiring freeze.
“Federal seasonal firefighters risk their lives to protect communities and save lives,” Padilla wrote. “This hiring freeze is particularly dangerous as we ramp up staffing and training ahead of peak wildfire season.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked California’s leaders, among others, for not adopting policies he believes will reduce fire risk. When he first took office in 2017, he issued a similar hiring freeze but exempted wildland firefighters.
CALIFORNIA
California Senator says Trump hiring freeze affecting federal wildland firefighter jobs
James Ward
Trevor Hughes
Palm Springs Desert Sun
0:08
/
0:15
Weeks after the devastating California wildfires, wildland firefighters around the country say they’ve had job offers rescinded or frozen because of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 federal hiring freeze.
Although the freeze exempted public safety workers, federal wildland firefighters were not covered by the exemption. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, from California, joined multiple other Democratic members of Congress in demanding the Trump administration expand the exemption and explain the hiring freeze.
“Federal seasonal firefighters risk their lives to protect communities and save lives,” Padilla wrote. “This hiring freeze is particularly dangerous as we ramp up staffing and training ahead of peak wildfire season.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked California’s leaders, among others, for not adopting policies he believes will reduce fire risk. When he first took office in 2017, he issued a similar hiring freeze but exempted wildland firefighters.
Firefighters and their supporters are trying to understand why this time is different.
“The administration must not sacrifice the safety of the American people for the benefit of implementing a political agenda,” a group of 15 Democratic senators wrote to the Department of Agriculture. “We will be woefully unprepared to fight the fires to come and instead will continue to see record levels of damage, ultimately costing communities and taxpayers even more at a time when the cost of living is already too high.”
Which agency oversees the U.S. Forest Service?
The Agriculture Department oversees the U.S. Forest Service and hired more than 11,300 wildland firefighters last year. Most of them are temporary hires, and positions fill and empty as wildfire season ramps up for the summer and winds down by winter.
The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forests and grasslands across the country, equivalent to Texas’s size. During large fires, it dispatches teams nationwide to converge on the flames, including “Hot Shot” crews and more than 300 “Smokejumpers” who parachute into fires in remote areas.
CALIFORNIA
California Senator says Trump hiring freeze affecting federal wildland firefighter jobs
James Ward
Trevor Hughes
Palm Springs Desert Sun
0:21
/
1:31
Weeks after the devastating California wildfires, wildland firefighters around the country say they’ve had job offers rescinded or frozen because of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 federal hiring freeze.
Although the freeze exempted public safety workers, federal wildland firefighters were not covered by the exemption. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, from California, joined multiple other Democratic members of Congress in demanding the Trump administration expand the exemption and explain the hiring freeze.
“Federal seasonal firefighters risk their lives to protect communities and save lives,” Padilla wrote. “This hiring freeze is particularly dangerous as we ramp up staffing and training ahead of peak wildfire season.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked California’s leaders, among others, for not adopting policies he believes will reduce fire risk. When he first took office in 2017, he issued a similar hiring freeze but exempted wildland firefighters.
Firefighters and their supporters are trying to understand why this time is different.
“The administration must not sacrifice the safety of the American people for the benefit of implementing a political agenda,” a group of 15 Democratic senators wrote to the Department of Agriculture. “We will be woefully unprepared to fight the fires to come and instead will continue to see record levels of damage, ultimately costing communities and taxpayers even more at a time when the cost of living is already too high.”
Which agency oversees the U.S. Forest Service?
The Agriculture Department oversees the U.S. Forest Service and hired more than 11,300 wildland firefighters last year. Most of them are temporary hires, and positions fill and empty as wildfire season ramps up for the summer and winds down by winter.
The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forests and grasslands across the country, equivalent to Texas’s size. During large fires, it dispatches teams nationwide to converge on the flames, including “Hot Shot” crews and more than 300 “Smokejumpers” who parachute into fires in remote areas.
How long does it take to hire firefighters?
Hiring all those firefighters can take months, partly because they must pass physical fitness checks.
Trump’s hiring freeze is delaying the hiring process, members of Congress said, reducing the number of federal firefighters available to be dispatched. While the wildfire season used to run only a few months in the summer and fall, experts say it should now be considered a year-round danger, particularly in California.
As of Jan 28, 2025, the average annual pay for a Forest Firefighter in California is $48,291 a year, according to ZipRecruiter.
Last month, catastrophic fires near Los Angeles burned more than 57,000 acres and destroyed more than 16,200 houses, businesses, and other structures, killing at least 29 people.
“Such fires also no longer stick to a particular season, meaning that we must be prepared 365 days per year to fight fires, putting even more stress and strain on a workforce that desperately needs additional support and higher pay,” the senators wrote to Trump.
A group of Democratic senators asked the Trump administration to explain the legality of halting firefighting grants that Congress had promised local governments across the West. Some grants pay local firefighters who travel to help fight wildfires in other states.
How much California forest land is under federal control?
According to available data, approximately 57% of California’s 33 million acres of forest land are under federal jurisdiction. Forty percent is privately held, and the State owns less than 3%. Thus, a significant portion of California’s wildland is considered federal property, primarily managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service.
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