Proposed state budget includes pay increase for Arizona’s wildland firefighters
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — As the firefight continues in Southern California, the images of destruction are a sobering reminder of what could happen in Arizona.
As part of her executive budget proposal, Governor Katie Hobbs is proposing a significant increase in the state’s wildland firefighter pay and a one-time payment for fire suppression.
“Over the last five or six years, even longer, we’ve seen our fire season start going year-round,” said Tiffany Davila, the AZ Department of Forestry and Fire Management Public Affairs Officer.
In 2024, Davila says 2,190 fires burned 282,989 acres compared to 1,837 fires that burned 188,483 acres in 2023.
“They can spend up to 16 hours on the fire line for weeks at a time with no breaks in between,” said Davila.
Governor Hobbs is calling for a 15% pay increase for state wildland firefighters, plus a $30 million one-time payment for fire suppression funding.
“We really do need that additional funding to help support the boots on the ground when it comes to firefighting and wildfire suppression,” said Davila.
The executive budget still needs legislative approval. Nationally, there is also a push to increase federal wildland firefighter pay through a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate this past week.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
