Latest news with #wildlandfirefighting
E&E News
3 days ago
- Climate
- E&E News
‘He's gotten lucky in a way': Why Trump's cuts haven't fueled wildfire catastrophe
President Donald Trump has so far largely evaded political fallout from his administration's controversial cuts to the Forest Service, thanks in part to weather conditions in fire-prone parts of the country that have helped keep blazes in check. Democratic lawmakers and state officials across the country warned that the Trump administration was courting disaster by removing about 5,000 Forest Service workers through early retirement and buyout programs, including about 1,600 people with wildland firefighting qualifications, and losing key agency leaders. But as of mid-August, the worst fears largely haven't materialized. Favorable weather conditions in parts of the country, including decent spring and summer rainfall and cooler temperatures across regions of the West, have helped contain wildfires, making existing personnel and resources adequate for ongoing response efforts, according to three state fire officials and three current and former Forest Service workers. Advertisement 'He's gotten lucky in a way,' Steve Ellis, a former Forest Service supervisor who now serves as chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, said of Trump. 'You're not really going to look bad until fire gets going and you don't have enough resources. When resources get short, that's when these things are noticed.
CBC
11-08-2025
- General
- CBC
Yukon First Nations Wildfire holds course to inspire underrepresented groups to join firefighting
Yukon First Nations Wildfire held its first Women on Wildfires (WOW) training program last week — a week-long course that gives women and 2SLGBTQ+ people the chance to try out the training and equipment involved in wildland firefighting. Elise Brown-Dussault, the program's manager, says she started the training because she wished it was around when she was younger. "Initially [it was] something I was always curious about trying, but I would tell myself, 'It's gonna be all men' or, 'I don't know how to use small engines. Who knows if I'm fit enough?'" She said she was struggling with these thoughts even though she did a lot of physical activities that were similar to what wildland firefighters do — like backpacking. Brown-Dussault said one of the big hurdles for a lot of people curious about wildland firefighting is the fact it's a male-dominated field. According to a 2024 s urvey by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, only 12 per cent of firefighters who responded to the survey were women. For gender diverse people, there was no data. "I think a lot of minorities, especially women and queer people, they feel maybe a little bit intimidated by the male-dominated nature of wildland fire," she said. During the week, participants learned fire fundamentals, like how to manage stress, use hand tools, and operate a basic pump system — similar to what they'd use in the field. There was also a big focus on fitness. The program doesn't replace the training needed to become a wildland firefighter, but gives people a chance to try it out and see if it's something they want to pursue. Alanna Bernarde is a WOW instructor and has been working as a wildland firefighter for the last four years. She adds, beyond being potential intimidation factor, a difference in physicality can be a barrier for some potential recruits. "A big portion of it as well is just teaching the women how to do these things because we're not six-foot-six and 200 pounds like all the other guys. Some of us are five-two and like 130 pounds. So it's just, how do we work around that and how do we work with our bodies rather than against [them]?" M Khonina, a WOW participant, is visiting from their studies as a structural firefighter in B.C. They've wanted to try out wildland firefighting since the 2023 fire season. "I think we need a lot more opportunities for these safer environments to try things, to fail, to get a chance to see yourself in this role and also to see people who can model it for you," they said. "Seeing women and gender diverse people in the fire service was really inspiring and told me that maybe I can do that as well." Brooke Tanaka, another WOW participant, found out about the program through work and says she's going to sign up for the actual training needed to become a wildland firefighter next year. "I grew up somewhere where we didn't have opportunities like this. So it was really good to know that there's actually a career path that helps women get into their first responders section," she said.
CBC
10-08-2025
- General
- CBC
Yukon First Nation holds first-ever Women on Wildfires training program
The course gives women and gender-diverse people a chance to try out the training and equipment involved in wildland firefighting. The CBC's Isabella Calissi went down to a pump training session just outside of Whitehorse earlier this week.
