Mass firings hamstring federal land agencies and wildfire response

From dispatchers to radio operators, trail crews to scientists, fired employees worked a range of important jobs needed to plan prescribed burns, organize suppression efforts and protect landscapes and communities against the growing threats of catastrophic fire.

“People living in fire-prone areas need to be aware,” the dispatcher said. “There might not be people to come help you anymore – you are going to be more on your own than you’ve ever been.”