The federal government is prepared for a busy wildfire season despite heavy workforce losses at the Forest Service and Interior Department, those agencies’ leaders said Tuesday.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters the employee departures encouraged or ordered by the Trump administration haven’t hampered their agencies’ abilities to fight fires. In some cases, they said, a leaner workforce may help the agencies respond more effectively to fires.
Rollins and Burgum spoke to reporters after a briefing with agency leaders ahead of wildfire season, which the National Interagency Fire Center predicted could be especially active in the Pacific Northwest as seasonal dryness takes hold in July and August.
“This means more people, more homes, more communities, more landscapes are at risk, and the need for firefighters and fire support personnel is clear,” Rollins said.
