Wildland firefighters face a big pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress

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Robin Verble, Missouri University of Science and Technology

(THE CONVERSATION) As cool weather arrives and the number of U.S. wildfires declines, wildland firefighters who have spent months working in the heat and smoke are able to take a much-needed break. But for many of them, the stress of the job isn’t going away.

Continued uncertainty regarding federal pay and benefits, coupled with mental health risks and seasonal financial strain, make this a precarious time for wildland firefighters.

I study the environmental and occupational health of wildland firefighters as a professor. I’m also married to a wildland firefighter, and we have two children. His work is unpredictable and dangerous. For him and many wildland firefighters like him, the stress is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding the future of wildland firefighter pay.

In 2021, Congress approved a temporary retention bonus of US$20,000 a year or 50% of the firefighter’s base pay, whichever amount was smaller. However, wildland firefighters are still waiting for that raise to be codified three years later.

This means that thousands of families are living in a constant state of financial insecurity across the country. If that pay raise expires, many firefighters will lose large percentages of their income. For many, these aren’t high-paying jobs. The...