Biden hiking firefighter pay

Additional hiring also announced as droughts pose risks

The Biden administration said Wednesday it is hiring more federal firefighters — and immediately raising their pay — as officials ramp up response efforts in the face of a severe drought that is setting the stage for another destructive summer of intense wildfires across the West.

President Joe Biden announced the moves during a virtual meeting with governors from Western states and as a huge swath of the Pacific Northwest endures one of the worst heat waves in recent memory. Temperatures in Portland, Ore., soared to a record 116 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, a fact Biden cited as “a wake-up call to the rest of the public” about the realities of climate change.

“The truth is we’re playing catch-up” on preparing for extreme heat and wildfires, Biden said, calling federal efforts “under-resourced” compared with the deadly threat posed by climate change and extreme drought.

“That’s going to change and we have to do it,” Biden told the governors. “We can’t cut corners when it comes to managing our wildfires or supporting our firefighters. Right now we have to act and act fast.”

Recalling horrific scenes from wildfires in California and other states last year, Biden said, “Orange skies look like end-of-days smoke and ash.”

Biden’s plan would ensure that no one fighting wildland fires is making less than $15 per hour and would add or convert to full-time nearly 1,000 firefighters across a host of agencies.

“Because of climate change, wildland firefighting is no longer a seasonal endeavor,” the White House said in a statement. “With fire seasons turning into fire years, it is imperative to have a year-round workforce that is available to respond at any time, that is supported and equitably compensated and is available to undertake preventive actions“such as cutting down small trees and brush that serve as fuel to fires that are increasing in size and intensity.

Western states have been parched by severe drought and record heat that has burned more than 2,300 square miles this year. That’s ahead of the pace in 2020, which saw a near-record 15,000 square miles burned, killing dozens of people and destroying more than 17,000 homes and other structures.

“Climate change is driving a dangerous confluence of extreme heat and prolonged drought,” Biden said. “We’re seeing wildfires of greater intensity that move with more speed.“

Biden has expressed dismay at the starting pay for federal firefighters, which is significantly lower than at many local and state fire agencies.

The pay raise will come in the form of retention incentives and by providing additional bonuses to those working on the front lines.