The wildfire smoke has faded and evacuation notices have lifted with cooler weather and rain. But the threat from wildfire now comes in a way from Congress.

The breakdown of budget talks means a breakdown of a solution to pay for federal firefighters of wildfires. They could hit a pay cliff and lose half their pay starting this month, as NPR reported in detail.

The firefighters got a temporary increase of $20,000 or 50% of their pay, whichever was lower. That was always set to end. But there was hope that Congress would make a deal to make that increase or some increase permanent.

The failure to make a budget deal means a failure to make a deal on wildland firefighter pay. The uncertainty could mean experienced firefighters leave for other work and it makes it less attractive for new firefighters to consider.

The Government Accountability Office reported in 2022 that there were some 18,700 federal wildland firefighters.

There have continually been issues with staffing because of low pay.

Many of them start at $15 an hour for difficult work in dangerous conditions. They can make more elsewhere without the danger.

At the same time, the total acres burned by wildfire in the United States has doubled over the last 20 years.

Wildfires “destroyed more than 12,000 homes, businesses, and other structures annually, on average, between 2017 and 2021—more than three times as many, on average, as in the preceding 5-year period,” according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

We need to retain and recruit more wildland firefighters. Instead, we are devaluing them.