“If it wasn’t for the lack of a living wage, I would still be working for the Forest Service.” Forest Service officials say they are struggling with a shortage of wildland firefighters to effectively respond to all the fires burning in the West.
Willy Sloop left his job as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service about two years ago. This year he has gotten multiple emails asking if he wants to come back.
“There are shortages at all levels,” a recent note from one forest manager looking for help from current employees or even retirees read. “If you are interested in supporting the cause and supporting the wildland firefighting effort from the aviation perspective I encourage you to respond to this email.”
Mr. Sloop, who works year-round as an outdoor guide with his wife, hasn’t responded to the entreaties. He can’t justify leaving it for a seasonal job where the pay typically ranges from $15 to $18 per hour, benefits are rare and higher wages for overtime mean putting his life at risk. “I still miss the work and guiltily think about going back to it,” Mr. Sloop said. “But I don’t know if I ever could without, like, either a wage that made me not have to chase the overtime” or other benefits, including paid time off between fire deployments.
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