After firefighting deaths, advocates alarmed by ‘deepening wildfire crisis,’ agencies’ strategies
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, wants to know to what extent that suppression policy informed the five-member Rifle helitack crew’s assignment battling the Gore and Knowles fires in southwest Colorado.
Ingalsbee, an ecologist and former firefighter, said the full-suppression approach reverses a longtime, science-backed strategy of allowing fires to burn in some further-removed areas to keep forests healthy, which also prevents crews from taking unnecessary risks.
“I’m pretty anxious about tragedies yet to happen, because we still have the same policy, blindly attacking all fires, instead of strategically, wisely managing and prioritizing fires,” Ingalsbee said.
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, wants to know to what extent that suppression policy informed the five-member Rifle helitack crew’s assignment battling the Gore and Knowles fires in southwest Colorado.
Ingalsbee, an ecologist and former firefighter, said the full-suppression approach reverses a longtime, science-backed strategy of allowing fires to burn in some further-removed areas to keep forests healthy, which also prevents crews from taking unnecessary risks.
“I’m pretty anxious about tragedies yet to happen, because we still have the same policy, blindly attacking all fires, instead of strategically, wisely managing and prioritizing fires,” Ingalsbee said.
Incarcerated people among thousands of firefighters battling Oregon’s aggressive fire season
On a misty spring day in Oregon’s Tillamook State Forest, a group of incarcerated men wearing yellow collared shirts and hard hats gathered around an instructor warning them about the dangers of an over-pressurized firefighting hose.
If left for too long, he said, a hose could overheat and explode, leaving those nearby with third-degree burns.
Such were the risks that these men were willing to take to avoid sleeping in a prison cell.
On a misty spring day in Oregon’s Tillamook State Forest, a group of incarcerated men wearing yellow collared shirts and hard hats gathered around an instructor warning them about the dangers of an over-pressurized firefighting hose.
If left for too long, he said, a hose could overheat and explode, leaving those nearby with third-degree burns.
Such were the risks that these men were willing to take to avoid sleeping in a prison cell.
Extreme heat is taking a toll on firefighters as wildfires stretch crews to the limit
When a wildfire threatens a community, most people don’t think to ask whether the firefighters coming to help slept enough the night before, recovered from the previous day’s shift or have enough energy left for another day on the fire line. They simply expect firefighters to show up.
But that workforce is increasingly being stretched to its limits.
When a wildfire threatens a community, most people don’t think to ask whether the firefighters coming to help slept enough the night before, recovered from the previous day’s shift or have enough energy left for another day on the fire line. They simply expect firefighters to show up.
But that workforce is increasingly being stretched to its limits.
After firefighting deaths, advocates alarmed by ‘deepening wildfire crisis,’ agencies’ strategies
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, wants to know to what extent that suppression policy informed the five-member Rifle helitack crew’s assignment battling the Gore and Knowles fires in southwest Colorado.
Ingalsbee, an ecologist and former firefighter, said the full-suppression approach reverses a longtime, science-backed strategy of allowing fires to burn in some further-removed areas to keep forests healthy, which also prevents crews from taking unnecessary risks.
“I’m pretty anxious about tragedies yet to happen, because we still have the same policy, blindly attacking all fires, instead of strategically, wisely managing and prioritizing fires,” Ingalsbee said.
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, wants to know to what extent that suppression policy informed the five-member Rifle helitack crew’s assignment battling the Gore and Knowles fires in southwest Colorado.
Ingalsbee, an ecologist and former firefighter, said the full-suppression approach reverses a longtime, science-backed strategy of allowing fires to burn in some further-removed areas to keep forests healthy, which also prevents crews from taking unnecessary risks.
“I’m pretty anxious about tragedies yet to happen, because we still have the same policy, blindly attacking all fires, instead of strategically, wisely managing and prioritizing fires,” Ingalsbee said.
Firefighting resources are ‘critically low’ in record fire year
This resource strain follows roughly 3,400 firings at the Forest Service under the Trump administration’s workforce cuts. Officials say frontline firefighters were spared, but the incident management teams coordinating the response were not. “These require the most seasoned and experienced managers. And we lost a lot of them last year,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, Executive Director for Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology. “We are just now seeing the impact of that.”
This resource strain follows roughly 3,400 firings at the Forest Service under the Trump administration’s workforce cuts. Officials say frontline firefighters were spared, but the incident management teams coordinating the response were not. “These require the most seasoned and experienced managers. And we lost a lot of them last year,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, Executive Director for Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology. “We are just now seeing the impact of that.”
Firefighters sound alarm as US faces critical staffing shortage: ‘We don’t have enough people’
The US has faced a critical shortage of firefighters at the US Forest Service (USFS) this summer as thousands of fires erupted across the country.
Despite officials’ claims that the firefighting workforce was stronger than ever, the agency has failed to keep pace with escalating conditions and the catastrophic fires fueled by them, according to nine firefighters who spoke to the Guardian anonymously, because they are barred from disclosing the information to the public.
The US has faced a critical shortage of firefighters at the US Forest Service (USFS) this summer as thousands of fires erupted across the country.
Despite officials’ claims that the firefighting workforce was stronger than ever, the agency has failed to keep pace with escalating conditions and the catastrophic fires fueled by them, according to nine firefighters who spoke to the Guardian anonymously, because they are barred from disclosing the information to the public.
Firefighting resources are ‘critically low’ in record fire year
But fire experts said that the firings decimated the ranks of older, experienced officials whose knowledge is valuable against increasingly large, complex fires.
“These require the most seasoned and experienced managers. And we lost a lot of them last year” to the budget cuts, said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology and a former firefighter for federal agencies. “We are just now seeing the impact of that.”
But fire experts said that the firings decimated the ranks of older, experienced officials whose knowledge is valuable against increasingly large, complex fires.
“These require the most seasoned and experienced managers. And we lost a lot of them last year” to the budget cuts, said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology and a former firefighter for federal agencies. “We are just now seeing the impact of that.”
When tragedy strikes, America's wildland firefighters ask, was it 'somebody that we loved?'
Former Forest Service fire scientist Dave Calkin calls the circumstances of the late June tragedy very concerning.
"The thing that really hurt me the most was the apparent lack of values that they were protecting, and the reality of how risky that environment is," he said, citing the high winds, inaccessibility and reliance on helicopters for getting firefighters to safety.
"When confronted with extreme conditions," Calkin said, taking the "safest option possible" is the right strategy. "And that safest option is to fall back and wait for better conditions or better locations."
Former Forest Service fire scientist Dave Calkin calls the circumstances of the late June tragedy very concerning.
"The thing that really hurt me the most was the apparent lack of values that they were protecting, and the reality of how risky that environment is," he said, citing the high winds, inaccessibility and reliance on helicopters for getting firefighters to safety.
"When confronted with extreme conditions," Calkin said, taking the "safest option possible" is the right strategy. "And that safest option is to fall back and wait for better conditions or better locations."
Exonerating a Firefighter
“I think something that really sticks out to me as someone who’s not native to Oregon is that Oregon has a lot of reckoning to do with its very racist past and its racist present. And I think this case is a really clear opportunity for that reckoning to happen and for Kotek to stand up for what she says she stands for,” Lusk says.
“I think something that really sticks out to me as someone who’s not native to Oregon is that Oregon has a lot of reckoning to do with its very racist past and its racist present. And I think this case is a really clear opportunity for that reckoning to happen and for Kotek to stand up for what she says she stands for,” Lusk says.
Wildfire veterans fear federal tactics, extreme fires could put crews at risk
“This policy that compels crews to blindly rush out and attack all fires is just not smart and it’s very unsafe,” Ingalsbee said. “They’re throwing back to the policy of the 1930s, ignoring everything we’ve learned about fire ecology and fire behavior”
“This policy that compels crews to blindly rush out and attack all fires is just not smart and it’s very unsafe,” Ingalsbee said. “They’re throwing back to the policy of the 1930s, ignoring everything we’ve learned about fire ecology and fire behavior”
It's time for answers on deadly fire
“Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
“Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
U.S. Firefighting Resources Are Already Maxed Out — And It’s Only July
The country is using nearly all of its wildfire fighting resources far earlier in the season than usual, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. On July 18, the country reached “Preparedness Level 5” status, the highest possible level on a scale that measures how much wildfires are taxing resources.
The country is using nearly all of its wildfire fighting resources far earlier in the season than usual, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. On July 18, the country reached “Preparedness Level 5” status, the highest possible level on a scale that measures how much wildfires are taxing resources.
New firefighters set out in Lane County amid a federal workforce restructuring
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of the Eugene-based nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE), and his organization have been tracking the new fire service since last year, offering policy analysis on what they view as a “deceptive downsizing” that could further strain systems both ecologically and operationally.
Ingalsbee has heard from people in the new service who told him they were transferred from their home agency within the Department of the Interior, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, into the new wildfire service earlier this year without a say in it.
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of the Eugene-based nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE), and his organization have been tracking the new fire service since last year, offering policy analysis on what they view as a “deceptive downsizing” that could further strain systems both ecologically and operationally.
Ingalsbee has heard from people in the new service who told him they were transferred from their home agency within the Department of the Interior, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, into the new wildfire service earlier this year without a say in it.
Safety advocates call for transparency in investigation into deaths of three wildland firefighters in Colorado
"We need to ask more questions about policy," he said. "Why were crews sent to this place, and for what purpose? What were they really protecting or defending? What is the objective there?"
…
"We should rapidly respond to every ignition, but there's a difference between taking an initial action and framing it as an initial attack," Ingalsbee said. "In some cases, that initial action may be okay. This is doing good work for free, reducing some of this hazardous surface fuel air."
"We need to ask more questions about policy," he said. "Why were crews sent to this place, and for what purpose? What were they really protecting or defending? What is the objective there?"
…
"We should rapidly respond to every ignition, but there's a difference between taking an initial action and framing it as an initial attack," Ingalsbee said. "In some cases, that initial action may be okay. This is doing good work for free, reducing some of this hazardous surface fuel air."
The Deadly Cost of Misguided Federal Wildfire Policy
But among the tributes and reminders of how wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to protect communities was the question from Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and founder of the group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology: “Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?”
The reason is that the Trump administration has reinstated a full suppression strategy applied to every wildfire, resurrecting an almost 100-year-old debate over how to handle wildfires — a debate that science and long-standing indigenous practices had settled by the late 1970s. Combined with the establishment of the US Wildland Fire Service, such policies could cost more lives
But among the tributes and reminders of how wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to protect communities was the question from Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and founder of the group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology: “Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?”
The reason is that the Trump administration has reinstated a full suppression strategy applied to every wildfire, resurrecting an almost 100-year-old debate over how to handle wildfires — a debate that science and long-standing indigenous practices had settled by the late 1970s. Combined with the establishment of the US Wildland Fire Service, such policies could cost more lives
Fatal Colorado wildfire thrusts Trump strategy into the spotlight
“The conditions are ripe for extreme wildfires,” said Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, in an interview before the firefighters were killed in Colorado. FUSEE represents wildland firefighters and promotes an ecological approach to fire management. “We really need a holistic fire management service that knows when and where to fight fires. … That's not where this agency is at, or seems to be headed, at the moment.”
“The conditions are ripe for extreme wildfires,” said Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, in an interview before the firefighters were killed in Colorado. FUSEE represents wildland firefighters and promotes an ecological approach to fire management. “We really need a holistic fire management service that knows when and where to fight fires. … That's not where this agency is at, or seems to be headed, at the moment.”
The tools firefighters use to protect themselves in the worst of conditions
News of three casualties in the Snyder Fire west of Grand Junction drove home that sentiment earlier this week. Three wildland firefighters who to traveled to Colorado died fighting the blaze.
So today on In The NoCo, we’re looking at the story from a different angle. We want to hear about how wildland firefighters protect themselves in the worst of circumstances.
Timothy Ingalsbee is a former wildland firefighter based in Oregon. He’s now executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
He talked with Erin O’Toole about the tools and techniques firefighters use to give themselves a fighting chance in a deadly scenario.
News of three casualties in the Snyder Fire west of Grand Junction drove home that sentiment earlier this week. Three wildland firefighters who to traveled to Colorado died fighting the blaze.
So today on In The NoCo, we’re looking at the story from a different angle. We want to hear about how wildland firefighters protect themselves in the worst of circumstances.
Timothy Ingalsbee is a former wildland firefighter based in Oregon. He’s now executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
He talked with Erin O’Toole about the tools and techniques firefighters use to give themselves a fighting chance in a deadly scenario.
Trump administration seeks to stomp out all fires quickly, reviving policy that has been discredited
“The question is, why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
“The question is, why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
Three Wildland Firefighters Killed in Colorado Blaze
“Climate change is producing these fast fires that just can overwhelm conventional suppression strategies and tactics,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, an education and advocacy group. He said he didn’t know enough about the details of the Snyder Fire to comment on the conditions there, “but that’s a general statement that spans the continent.”
“Climate change is producing these fast fires that just can overwhelm conventional suppression strategies and tactics,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, an education and advocacy group. He said he didn’t know enough about the details of the Snyder Fire to comment on the conditions there, “but that’s a general statement that spans the continent.”
Why Wildfire Experts Are So Worried About This Year’s Fire Season
Burgum’s previous efforts to centralize power at Interior drew complaints about the organizational chaos that followed: Some 5,000 staff were moved from the department’s component agencies to his office in May 2025, and almost 1,800 quit, retired or were pushed out afterward. That’s sparked concern about how smooth his overhaul of the department’s firefighting efforts will be.
“The bottom line is it’s disorganization,” said Ingalsbee.
Burgum’s previous efforts to centralize power at Interior drew complaints about the organizational chaos that followed: Some 5,000 staff were moved from the department’s component agencies to his office in May 2025, and almost 1,800 quit, retired or were pushed out afterward. That’s sparked concern about how smooth his overhaul of the department’s firefighting efforts will be.
“The bottom line is it’s disorganization,” said Ingalsbee.