Wildland firefighter numbers plummet, as need for job rises

Think Out Loud

You may have heard that wildfire seasons are getting longer, with blazes burning more intensely and lasting longer than ever. In 1993, fires were fought across nearly 1.8 million acres - but by 2021, that area had quadrupled. Not surprisingly, the resources and workforce needed to combat these conflagrations has been increasing as well. But exactly the opposite is happening: more and more of these critically important wildland firefighters are quitting or retiring, and they are not being replaced. As Abe Streep found in his two-year-long investigation for ProPublica, the reasons involve federal policies and what is offered to these critical employees by way of compensation, benefits and working conditions. He joins us to share more details of that investigation.