Oregon Senator Ron Wyden visited Southern Oregon Tuesday to get an update on the fire season this year from state fire officials.
Wyden has been pressuring the Biden administration to speed up a promised pay increase for wildland firefighters.
Congress approved $600 million in the bipartisan infrastructure law to raise firefighter salaries by up to $20,000 more per year, but implementing that raise is overdue by more than a month.
Wyden says the continued wildland firefighter shortage could have serious consequences this fire season.
"What happens if everybody is gonna need firefighters and doesn’t have somebody to borrow from?" he asks.
During his meeting with state officials, Wyden says he learned the combination of drought conditions and late rainfall this year means there’s more fuel to burn. That could lead to more wildfires across the region.
Wyden says agencies have fewer firefighters to share with other states as they deal with the ongoing worker shortage.
“We are looking at a fire challenge where all of these Western states are simultaneously gonna need very large numbers of firefighters," Wyden says.
Wyden says Oregon agencies are seeing up to 20% vacancy rates for firefighting positions, with some firefighters leaving because they’re not getting paid enough.
In Addition, firefighting agencies are looking to transition away from seasonal hiring and create more permanent positions. These firefighters are needed to help with fuel reduction efforts in the off-season.
Wyden is hoping to get more answers for the delay in wage increases from the federal Office of Personnel Management in the coming days.
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