But more than 12 active, retired U.S. Forest Service employees told Reuters that agents are struggling to play a key role after roughly 5,000 employees (about 15% of the workforce) have ended in the past five months, Reuters reported.
Accounts from firefighters in Oregon and New Mexico, as well as fire chief recruitment support staff in the Pacific Northwest, said the vacancy prevented them from supporting frontline firefighters due to their mandatory duties.
The Oregon Blaze crew leader said her team had been starving for several days, not running medical supplies and had to run chainsaw fuel after support staff left the agency during the acquisition of two rounds of “Fork in the Road.”
“After working 16 hours, there were people who were going to sleep hungry,” said the leader of the Alder Springs Fire crew.
MA/PR