Victoria Porter, a former U.S. Forest Service worker, spent two days last year fighting a forest fire that broke out at a hunter’s campsite in Montana. Despite not being a full-time firefighter, Porter and her team helped contain the blaze by digging a fire break and using mules to transport water. However, Porter was fired last week as part of a wave of mass terminations of probationary employees by the Trump administration, a move that she believes will strain the agency’s firefighting capabilities.
The termination of probationary Forest Service workers, who often have basic firefighting training, is seen as a setback in wildfire prevention efforts. The Forest Service manages lands across the US, facing constant wildfire threats due to low staffing and inadequate pay for firefighters. While the agency had over 11,000 wildland firefighters in 2024, many other employees have basic fire training and are called upon to assist during wildfires.
The cuts have raised concerns among critics and lawmakers, with Colorado Democrats expressing worry over the impact on the Forest Service’s wildfire resilience. The termination of workers with basic firefighting training, like Porter and her former colleague Edith Robinson, is seen as a loss of crucial firefighting capacity in times of need. The Forest Service workers with basic training, referred to as reserves, play a vital role in supporting operational firefighters during wildfires.
The termination of probationary employees by the Trump administration is part of a broader effort to reduce government bureaucracy. However, critics argue that these cuts are detrimental to important programs, such as wildfire prevention and response. Robinson emphasizes the importance of having as many trained firefighting personnel as possible to effectively combat wildfires and protect communities and resources.
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