Senators from eight states this week sent a letter to President Donald Trump warning that the ongoing partial government shutdown would put lives at risk this coming fire season.
Classes necessary for fire incident managers, smokejumpers and hotshot crews are in jeopardy in the near future, since winter months are typically when seasonal firefighters go through training exercises.
The U.S. Forest Service said in an email that the agency was committed to hiring for temporary and permanent firefighting positions and would continue training to a feasible extent. Devastating wildfires hit the U.S. West last year, causing California to have the worst fire season on record.