Race is on to get wildland firefighters better pay

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif.— Two bills are going through congress that would give low ranking wildland firefighters a 42% pay increase and top ranking firefighters a 1.5% pay increase. 
 
The first is the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2023 and the second is called The Department Of The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025. 
 
If congress doesn’t pass either of these new bills wildland firefighter pay will be cut by 40%. 
  
Recruiting new wildland firefighters is relatively straightforward for the U.S. Forest Service, but getting them to stay is much harder.
 
Many federal firefighters are leaving for better paying agencies like Cal Fire. 
 
To add fuel to the flames, the job is getting even more difficult. 
 
“We have more complex ecosystems that are being impacted by things like climate change and the things that go with that drought, stress, trees, beetle kills, all those different things. Plus, to add to the complexity, we have more homes in the wildland urban interface. And any time you add homes and human life, the job becomes more complex,” said Adrienne Freeman from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Congress has passed so-called "bandaid" acts to help federal firefighters, but advocates say they need a permanent solution, especially with a looming government shutdown. 
 
“Once people get into a position where they want to have a family, they want to have a good opportunity for their, you know, their kids to go to schools, good schools, etc.. Then then then the pay becomes uncompetitive. And living in the community you serve becomes impossible,” said Freeman.
  
Congressman Salud Carbajal says he supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 3 years ago that gave a 50% salary increase to wildland firefighters. 
 
That is set to expire September 30th. 
 
Critics point out Carbajal voted against the Appropriations Act of 2025 which included special base rates pay for wildland firefighters.
 
Carbajal says his no vote was due to cuts in other areas.
 
“What they neglect to tell you that they actually provided a cut to the U.S. Forest Service, the National Parks, the US EPA for so many other important functions that support our firefighters and firefighting in the United States,” said the Democrat representing Disctrict 24. 
 
Carbajal introduced the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to Congress, bipartisan legislation he hopes will address the needs of federal firefighters. 
  
“I already voted to increase their pay 50%. It was the bill to make it permanent beyond September 30th,” said Carbajal.
  
We reached out to Carbajal’s opponent Thomas Cole who says he would propose a pay increase of 25% effective immediately. 
 
Cole also says state and federal officials need to do more to thin out forests, cut new fire breaks and install automated alarm and dousing systems, as described in his local wildfire control website.