Arizona wildfire crews could be impacted by government layoffs
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — As sweeping government layoffs happen across the country, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins confirmed layoffs are coming to her department, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service.
According to a letter sent by a group of Senators and Representatives, 3,400 employees from the U.S. Forest Service are part of that layoff.
In Arizona, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management has access to around 2,500 wildland firefighters. The state saw 2,191 wildfires in 2024 that burned 282,989 acres.
Bobbie Scopa is on the executive board of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, an advocacy group for wildland firefighters. Scopa says these first responders are in limbo, waiting for a permanent pay raise to be approved, dealing with extended time away from their families, and now layoffs.
“It’s not hyperbole to say that the potential for disaster exists because of reduced federal wildland firefighters,” she said.
The combination of all of that could make it even harder to hire and retain for these jobs.
“It’s a very fluid situation right now, but what we’re hearing is that the firefighters are not going to be a part of that layoff. But, who is getting laid off is all the people who support the firefighters. The people who take care of the hiring process, the people who take care of budgeting and finance, the people who help with contracts,” explained Scopa.
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