Firefighters doubt repeal of Roadless Rule will help with wildfires
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, believes the Trump administration’s real focus is timber, and the agriculture department’s messaging about wildfire reduction and firefighter access is deceptive.
“Not in our name,” Ingalsbee told Lookout Eugene-Springfield during the event.
“From the perspective of wildland firefighters, this (repeal of the roadless rule) is not going to make it safer, more efficient to go suppress wildfires. It’s going to be just the opposite. It’s going to increase their burdens, risk, and hazards. “
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, believes the Trump administration’s real focus is timber, and the agriculture department’s messaging about wildfire reduction and firefighter access is deceptive.
“Not in our name,” Ingalsbee told Lookout Eugene-Springfield during the event.
“From the perspective of wildland firefighters, this (repeal of the roadless rule) is not going to make it safer, more efficient to go suppress wildfires. It’s going to be just the opposite. It’s going to increase their burdens, risk, and hazards. “
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.”
Forest Service moves ahead with plan to end Roadless Rule, which would affect forest near Eugene
Eugene-based conservation groups — including Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands and Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology — held several public events advocating to keep the rule in place, also pushing for science-based approaches.
Eugene-based conservation groups — including Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands and Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology — held several public events advocating to keep the rule in place, also pushing for science-based approaches.
Roadless Rule Still Under Threat
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology says the idea that logging equals less fire is misguided. “Commercial logging takes the largest portion of the largest tree and hauls it away, and those are the least flammable parts of a tree,” he says. “What’s left behind are the most flammable and smallest size material, the needles and the small limbs and the logs left behind. That’s the most flammable.”
He adds that fire is a natural phenomenon and the USDA does not need to send young firefighters to every single fire that crops up in the nation’s forests. “The assumption that the forest would disappear without human intervention by logging or firefighting is ridiculous.”
Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology says the idea that logging equals less fire is misguided. “Commercial logging takes the largest portion of the largest tree and hauls it away, and those are the least flammable parts of a tree,” he says. “What’s left behind are the most flammable and smallest size material, the needles and the small limbs and the logs left behind. That’s the most flammable.”
He adds that fire is a natural phenomenon and the USDA does not need to send young firefighters to every single fire that crops up in the nation’s forests. “The assumption that the forest would disappear without human intervention by logging or firefighting is ridiculous.”
Federal Job Cuts Are Making Wildfires Harder to Fight. The Trump administration pushed out thousands of veteran U.S. Forest Service staff. An ‘extraordinary’ fire season is testing those who are left.
The nation’s wildfire-fighting corps is a mix of state, local and federal workers and private crews-for-hire who work together. As more than 100 wildfires burn in 15 states, state resources are strained. At the same time, the federal government has cut jobs at the U.S. Forest Service and is consolidating its firefighting capabilities. The result is confusion, supply problems and slower responses, according to former Forest Service officials and the union representing the agency’s workers.
Celebrate Warner and Learn
The Warner Creek campaign resembled a local social movement that was widely supported because it held the moral high ground righteously opposing the crimes of forest arson and lawless salvage logging. Over the course of five years there were many people engaged in countless collective actions, facing risks and making personal sacrifices, who were also crucial to its victory. As the first draft of history, journalism has understandably failed to cite those unheralded individuals who also deserve public acknowledgment of their civic heroism.
The Warner Creek campaign resembled a local social movement that was widely supported because it held the moral high ground righteously opposing the crimes of forest arson and lawless salvage logging. Over the course of five years there were many people engaged in countless collective actions, facing risks and making personal sacrifices, who were also crucial to its victory. As the first draft of history, journalism has understandably failed to cite those unheralded individuals who also deserve public acknowledgment of their civic heroism.
Six ways advocates and organizations can practice solidarity for environmental justice
Organizations like Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) and FireGeneration Collaborative inspire us. FUSEE, an organization promoting ecological fire management, has repeatedly announced that “Fire melts ICE” and “Fire and ICE don’t mix,” opposing the detention and deportation of wildland firefighters. Alongside FireGeneration Collaborative, they have organized to support Brian “Hakiym” Simpson, a Black firefighter imprisoned as the result of defending himself during a racially motivated assault. They continue to amplify calls for Tribal sovereignty and support Indigenous cultural burning practices. This includes the impressive work of FireGeneration Collaborative, which aims to transform fire culture by centering Indigenous leadership and diverse young people.
Organizations like Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) and FireGeneration Collaborative inspire us. FUSEE, an organization promoting ecological fire management, has repeatedly announced that “Fire melts ICE” and “Fire and ICE don’t mix,” opposing the detention and deportation of wildland firefighters. Alongside FireGeneration Collaborative, they have organized to support Brian “Hakiym” Simpson, a Black firefighter imprisoned as the result of defending himself during a racially motivated assault. They continue to amplify calls for Tribal sovereignty and support Indigenous cultural burning practices. This includes the impressive work of FireGeneration Collaborative, which aims to transform fire culture by centering Indigenous leadership and diverse young people.
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.
Learn from the Burn
“That was kind of the take-home message from the Forest Service: Be afraid, be very afraid,” Ingalsbee says. “That’s when they first divulged that, in their minds, a burned forest is no longer good for spotted owls.” He says that since the Forest Service no longer viewed the roadless area as a habitat for the endangered spotted owl, it set its eyes on timber sales. “It’s literally at that moment the lights went on in my brain and I said, ‘No way.’”
“That was kind of the take-home message from the Forest Service: Be afraid, be very afraid,” Ingalsbee says. “That’s when they first divulged that, in their minds, a burned forest is no longer good for spotted owls.” He says that since the Forest Service no longer viewed the roadless area as a habitat for the endangered spotted owl, it set its eyes on timber sales. “It’s literally at that moment the lights went on in my brain and I said, ‘No way.’”
The old growth forest activists saved 30 years ago is still inspiring people today
The Forest Service claimed the burnt forest could no longer house spotted owls. But according to Ingalsbee, multiple owl fledglings were spotted during the first spring season following the fire. This added to the growing pressure against the Forest Service.
Overwhelmed by opposition, the Forest Service eventually organized a committee to come up with alternative solutions. Ingalsbee was one of the committee members, due to his experience with forest fire management.
Representatives from the timber industry argued in favor of logging the area, claiming that old-growth clear-cutting would be environmentally beneficial and that clear-cut areas serve as fuel breaks that reduce the severity of future wildfires.
But opposition was strong.
“‘Let’s learn from the burn’, was our slogan, and make this a research natural area,” Ingalsbee said.
The Forest Service claimed the burnt forest could no longer house spotted owls. But according to Ingalsbee, multiple owl fledglings were spotted during the first spring season following the fire. This added to the growing pressure against the Forest Service.
Overwhelmed by opposition, the Forest Service eventually organized a committee to come up with alternative solutions. Ingalsbee was one of the committee members, due to his experience with forest fire management.
Representatives from the timber industry argued in favor of logging the area, claiming that old-growth clear-cutting would be environmentally beneficial and that clear-cut areas serve as fuel breaks that reduce the severity of future wildfires.
But opposition was strong.
“‘Let’s learn from the burn’, was our slogan, and make this a research natural area,” Ingalsbee said.
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”
‘Like Trying to Fly a Plane While You’re Building It’
The airplane metaphor has become a common theme in conversations among wildland firefighters discussing the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (WFS). President Trump issued Executive Order 14308 mandating consolidation of federal wildfire programs, and the new agency is the product of that executive order, which seeks to combine fire programs of five different federal agencies across two Cabinet-level departments. The order set a deadline of 90 days for the agencies to complete consolidation. A year later, during a record-setting wildfire year, federal fire consolidation is far from complete.
The airplane metaphor has become a common theme in conversations among wildland firefighters discussing the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (WFS). President Trump issued Executive Order 14308 mandating consolidation of federal wildfire programs, and the new agency is the product of that executive order, which seeks to combine fire programs of five different federal agencies across two Cabinet-level departments. The order set a deadline of 90 days for the agencies to complete consolidation. A year later, during a record-setting wildfire year, federal fire consolidation is far from complete.
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?”
Mental, not physical therapy — firefighters take steps to relieve the toll of exhausting, sometimes tragic work
The deadly fire on the Colorado/Utah border has claimed the life of a fourth firefighter. 43-year-old Nathan Matthews, of Lincoln, Nebraska, had been hospitalized since the Snyder fire burnover June 27. Also this season, a helicopter pilot died fighting the Gold Mountain fire. How does this affect the mental health of their fellow firefighters?
The deadly fire on the Colorado/Utah border has claimed the life of a fourth firefighter. 43-year-old Nathan Matthews, of Lincoln, Nebraska, had been hospitalized since the Snyder fire burnover June 27. Also this season, a helicopter pilot died fighting the Gold Mountain fire. How does this affect the mental health of their fellow firefighters?
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.
Three Tims and a forest: Remembering the Warner Creek blockade, 30 years later
Ingalsbee is the cofounder and executive director of FUSEE (Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology). He and 118 wildland firefighters recently sent a letter to Congress outlining the dangers to wildland firefighters should the Roadless Rule be rescinded.
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On Aug. 24, FUSEE will host a Warner Creek 30th Anniversary Victory Celebration and fundraiser at the WOW Hall with an evening of live music with Peter Wilde and Casey Neill.
Ingalsbee is the cofounder and executive director of FUSEE (Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology). He and 118 wildland firefighters recently sent a letter to Congress outlining the dangers to wildland firefighters should the Roadless Rule be rescinded.
…
On Aug. 24, FUSEE will host a Warner Creek 30th Anniversary Victory Celebration and fundraiser at the WOW Hall with an evening of live music with Peter Wilde and Casey Neill.
On Fire. Again.
There were orange skies in 2023, 2025 and now again in 2026. Over the last few years, one thing has become glaringly clear: The East Coast is totally unequipped for the next climate disaster, wildfires. The Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells explains that with every climate disaster, we’re not just adapting to a “new normal,” but bracing ourselves for what’s next.
There were orange skies in 2023, 2025 and now again in 2026. Over the last few years, one thing has become glaringly clear: The East Coast is totally unequipped for the next climate disaster, wildfires. The Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells explains that with every climate disaster, we’re not just adapting to a “new normal,” but bracing ourselves for what’s next.