Fire protection will suffer from layoffs

In the Flathead Valley we live in a fire prone area. Many of us have evacuated because of fires, or have packed and been ready to evacuate as we’ve watched smoke and flames advance. Don’t expect as much fire protection this summer.

The Trump-Musk team is telling the public that no fire crew employees are among the 3,400 Forest Service employees who have been fired recently. This statement is misleading as it doesn’t take into consideration how wildfire deployment works.

It is not just fire crews that work on wildfires. When a forest fire occurs, non-fire crew employees who work on timber and trail crews, etc., are called upon to pause their normal tasks and work alongside the fire crews to fight the wildfire. They represent a large part of the fire-fighting team.

These other employees are among those getting fired, thus reducing fire-fighting staff. When not fighting fires, these employees maintain trails, manage timber, etc. – tasks that themselves reduce the chance of wildfire. It is deceptive to imply that after these mass firings our fire season will have the same protection as usual.

Montana has vast areas of Forest Service lands, and these layoffs affect our local forests and fire protection in a big way. We need these people back on the jobs.

– Stephanie Brancati, Big Arm