Summer of Extreme Heat, Dangerous Fires has Wildland Firefighters Rethinking Career Choice  

Climate & Comp

Three wildland firefighters were killed last month battling a fast-moving wildfire along the Colorado-Utah border after officials say they deployed emergency fire shelters in a last attempt to survive. Their deaths reflect the danger of the job and a new survey that found that three out of four respondents said they have considered quitting within the past 12 months.  

In the survey, the federal wildland firefighters said work-life balance was the most common reason they cited for considering quitting. Burnout and low pay were other frequently listed concerns.  

The survey was conducted by Grassroots Wildland Firefighters (GWF) in March 2026 in partnership with the National Federation of Federal Employees, a union representing federal wildland firefighters. The survey received 825 responses from wildland firefighters across the Forest Service and the Interior Department.   

GWF  officials said they were really surprised at how many people responded to the survey. The survey reveals that wildland firefighters want to be heard and they want people to understand the dangers they face, according to GWF officials.  

For years, federal wildland firefighters have faced excessive overtime, understaffing and inadequate pay and benefits, leading to frequent stress, burnout and low morale.  A 2022, Government Accountability Office report found consistent recruitment and retention barriers, including low pay, poor work-life balance, mental health challenges and limited career advancement opportunities.  

And uncertainty from recent federal workforce reductions and agency reorganization efforts are intensifying long-term workforce challenges for wildland firefighters, according to GWF (Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. )  Although the 2025 staffing reductions did not directly impact  federal wildland firefighters, experts point out that separations across support roles, such as logistics and finance, still affected the frontline workforce.   

The new survey results come in the middle of what has already been a dangerous summer firefighting season, which is expected to intensify in the coming months.   

“We have seen some of the worst fires this summer, “ said Robert Jenkins, mayor of Eureka, which was evacuated twice this summer for wildfire danger after 13,000 acres were engulfed in fire. “Wildland firefighters are incredible people,’’ he added. 

So  far this year, 39,402 wildfires have burned 3,623,259 acres in fire activity throughout the western United States.  

“What the data makes clear is that the current trajectory – declining preparedness, expanding overtime dependency, deteriorating morale and accelerating attrition – is not sustainable heading into the fire year that is already shaping up to be severe,’’ the GWF wrote in a memo summarizing the survey results.  

A spokesperson for the Interior Department Wildland Fire Service said the agency does not comment on external surveys, but added that the agency is committed to supporting its workforce.  

“We are engaging with employees at all levels as we continue the phased implementation of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service,’’ the spokesperson said in a prepared statement. “We welcome feedback from employees through established channels.’’ 

Months of dry weather and record lack of snowfall this past winter in some places along with erratic winds have been fueling the fires. Earth’s warming climate also has made wildfires more frequent, especially in temperate western U.S. forests, according to NASA, and extreme wildfire activity doubled from 2003 to 2023. 

The three firefighters killed on June 27 were members of the Helitack crew that sometimes drops into remote areas by helicopters.  

Share This Article: