Wildland firefighters

A bill introduced in Congress would permanently raise pay and other benefits for wildland firefighters. It comes as temporary increases are set to expire in the coming months.

The devices, known as Drop Blocks, are GPS tracking and locating systems that will provide another layer of communication and accountability for wildland fire crews at work in remote areas with limited or no cell phone service.

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to allow leased planes and helicopters used for responding to wildfires to transport wildland firefighters.

The wildland firefighting community and numerous advocacy groups have launched a letter-writing campaign aimed at U.S. Senators. They’re calling for the introduction and passages of the Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act.

Governor Doug Ducey has ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff today in honor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. This day marks the ninth anniversary since 19 members of the elite wildland firefighting crew lost their lives battling the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire.

The Biden administration has signed off on a temporary pay increase for wildland firefighters throughout the U.S. It comes amid a national labor shortage of fire personnel and the growing threat of climate change-fueled wildfires.

Fire officials report the first containment numbers for both the Pipeline and Haywire fires burning near Flagstaff. Most evacuations have been lifted and portions of U.S. Highway 89 have reopened.

A group of Navajo wildland firefighters has just completed their first training courses since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.

A $1.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is funding a study through University of Arizona Health Sciences on the cancer risks for wildland firefighters.

The Biden Administration today announced plans to boost pay for nearly 15,000 federal firefighters employed by the U.S. Forest Service and Interior…