Wildland firefighters

A memorial was held for three wildland firefighters killed while battling a Colorado wildfire, including Kaibab National Forest firefighter Nick Hutcherson of Arizona.

The Forest Service says it's fully staffed with seasonal firefighters going into summer but there are still questions about whether the government is prepared if major wildfires get out of hand.

State officials are temporarily spearheading the annual Firewise Community Cleanup in several Coconino County communities this week, after staffing and financial pressures ended the program last month.

For the first time, the Trump administration is considering giving wildland firefighters the same hazard pay for prescribed burns that they receive while working to suppress wildfires.

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would remove overtime pay caps for wildland firefighters who work for the departments of Interior and Agriculture.

Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego is asking the U.S. Department of Defense how it might be planning to step in to assist states impacted by possible wildland firefighter pay cuts.

A yearlong effort to craft recommendations for federal fire policy comes to a close today. The new report, submitted to Congress, focuses on ways to step up so-called “beneficial fire” that is managed for ecological health. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with one of the authors, Neil Chapman of the Flagstaff Fire Department.

At the end of the week, federal wildland firefighters could take steep, across-the-board pay cuts without action from Congress, which advocates and officials fear could trigger mass resignations within the workforce.

The deadline to prevent steep, across-the-board pay cuts to federal wildland firefighters is Oct. 1.

Advocates for wildland firefighters are urging Congress to pass a bill that would prevent across-the-board pay cuts.