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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 18 January 2019
U.S. shutdown stalls training, other prep for wildfire season

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Just "Even if the shutdown ends
two months after a wildfire and we start hiring people,
wiped out Paradise, Cali- we will have missed the
fornia, officials are gearing cream of the crop," De-
up for this year's fire season Grosky said.
and fear the government The U.S. Forest Service said
shutdown could make it in an email that the agen-
even more difficult than cy was committed to hiring
one of the worst in history. for temporary and perma-
The winter months are criti- nent firefighting positions
cal for wildfire managers and would continue critical
who use the break from the training "to the extent fea-
flames to prepare for the sible."
next onslaught, but much The first session of an ap-
of that effort has ground to prenticeship program for
a halt on U.S. land because wildland firefighters went
employees are furloughed. ahead this week, Forest
Firefighting training courses Service spokeswoman Ka-
are being canceled from tie O'Connor said.
Tennessee to Oregon, piles "The agency is assessing
of dead trees are unten- and prioritizing the activi-
ded in federal forests and ties we are able to main-
controlled burns to thin dry tain while in shutdown sta-
vegetation aren't getting tus. We are unable to spec-
done. ulate on specific impacts
Although the furloughs only while the government shut-
affect federal employees, In this Nov. 12, 2018 file photo a firefighter battles a fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway, aka down is ongoing and ever-
the collaborative nature of state Highway 118, in Simi Valley, Calif. changing," O'Connor said
wildland firefighting means Associated Press in a statement.
the pain of the four-week- Conservationists and fire
long shutdown is having a need training classes, for lands are treading water. Similar classes were called managers say there are
ripple effect — from fire- example, are scrambling Annual retreats where lo- off in Oregon and Tennes- other concerns.
fighters on the ground to without federal instructors. cal, state and federal fire- see, and others face the Clearing and thinning proj-
federal contractors and Conservation groups that fighting agencies strategize same fate as the shutdown ects and planned burns on
top managers who control work with the U.S. Forest are being called off. drags on. President Donald federal land that could less-
the firefighting strategy. Service to plan wildfire-pre- The fire season starts as Trump and congressional en fire danger by weeding
State and local crews who vention projects on federal early as March in the south- Democrats are at odds out flammable debris also
eastern United States, and over funding for a border are largely on hold in Cali-
by April, fires pop up in the wall. fornia, Oregon and else-
Southwest. Last year's most A dozen senators from Or- where. Private contractors
devastating fire leveled the egon, California, New Mex- say they have received let-
Northern California town ico, Washington, Colorado, ters telling them to stop the
of Paradise just before Nevada, West Virginia and work.
Thanksgiving, leaving just a Michigan sent a letter this There's already a backlog
few months to prepare be- week to Trump warning of such projects in fed-
tween seasons. that the shutdown would eral forests in Oregon and
"I think a lot of people don't put lives at risk this coming Northern California, said
understand that while fire season. Classes neces- Michael Wheelock, presi-
there's not fire going on out sary for fire incident man- dent of Grayback, a pri-
there right now, there's a lot agers, smokejumpers and vate contractor in Grants
of really critical work going hotshot crews are in jeop- Pass, Oregon.
on for the fire season — and ardy in the near future, the Intentional fires can only
that's not getting done," senators said. be set in a narrow winter
said Michael DeGrosky, Smokejumpers parachute window before tempera-
chief of the Fire Protection into remote forests to battle tures and humidity falls —
Bureau for the Montana blazes not accessible by and that is rapidly closing,
Department of Natural Re- firefighters on the ground Wheelock said.
sources and Conservation. and hotshot crews are small "Every week that goes by,
It's especially important groups of elite firefighters it's going to start increasing
with climate change mak- trained to battle the most the impact," he said.
ing wildfire seasons longer, ferocious flames. Joyce McLean, who lost
deadlier and more destruc- The winter is also when sea- her and her husband's
tive. sonal firefighters apply for home in Paradise last No-
DeGrosky was supposed to jobs, get the required drug vember, supports Trump's
be teaching a course this tests and move to where push for a border wall but
week for firefighters who they will train and work. In worries what will happen if
want to qualify for the com- many cases, there's no one firefighters aren't prepared
mand staff of a fire man- to answer the phone or for next time.
agement team. But the process the applications, "I hope there are no more
class was canceled with- and some potential recruits forest fires," said McLean,
out instructors from federal may decide to work else- 74. "I wouldn't wish that on
agencies. where to avoid the hassle. nobody."q