Increased work hours sought for seasonal firefighters due to personnel reduction within the Forest Service this year
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has made an unprecedented move by waiving a statutory cap, allowing temporary staff to work for more than half the year during the peak wildfire season. This decision comes as the nation is currently at a level four on the wildfire preparedness scale, with concerns about staffing levels and the loss of institutional knowledge mounting.
Nearly 5,000 USFS employees have accepted incentive offers to leave the agency, and about 1,400 of these departing employees held certifications for firefighting duties. The waived cap equates to a 30-hour work week for firefighters and fire-adjacent staff, and it applies to a range of positions, including firefighters, biological technicians, archeologists, vehicle dispatchers, engineers, supply technicians, and others.
Bobbie Scopa, a long-time federal firefighter, noted it was unusual for the service to waive the hours cap when the government has not yet set the national wildfire preparedness level at five, the highest on the scale. He added that it was also unusual for the cap to be waived so early in the season.
Last year, the USFS announced it would not hire seasonal staff in 2025, except for fire-related positions. However, the agency has exceeded its goal for 2025, with 11,364 firefighters as of the end of July. The extra working hours granted by the waiver would not impact the staffers' future employment or service time.
The agency acknowledges that the total number of firefighters does not meet its needs for the wildfire crisis. This decision to waive the hours cap is likely a response to this shortage, as the agency is "scared as hell about staffing," according to a USFS firefighter.
The Trump administration proposed a 26% reduction in USFS staffing in its fiscal 2026 budget proposal. This proposal faced bipartisan pushback on the agency's workforce plans, and it remains to be seen how the current administration will address staffing needs in the future.
The USFS stresses that the extensions are optional and would not affect employees' eligibility for unemployment. Meanwhile, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has also received special authorization from the Department of Personnel to lift the hourly limits for their temporary employees, although the exact timeframe during which they can work was not detailed in the available search results.
As the wildfire season continues, the USFS will likely need to navigate these staffing challenges to ensure the safety of both its employees and the public.
