Focus on Arts and Ecology

Laurie Goering, Climate editor

As what is expected to be another brutal wildfire season approaches in the drought-hit western United States, officials say federal firefighting crews are staffed and ready for action.

But firefighters themselves, on the frontlines of worsening climate-fueled blazes, tell a different story.

Crews across the country, including in California, are having trouble recruiting and holding onto frontline staff as the dangers facing them grow, and a combination of problems - from decaying facilities and equipment to poor pay - undermine morale.

In one area of fire-threatened northern California, crews are at 65% staffing or less, one engine captain told our reporters David Sherfinski and Avi Asher-Schapiro.

Brian Gold, a federal firefighter in Colorado, said the problems now present "an existential threat to the federal wildland fire program", with improved conditions for firefighters crucial to recruit enough people to effectively tackle ever more frequent and deadly blazes.

To address some of the concerns, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration last week announced a policy shift that aims to make it easier for federal firefighters to claim benefits for injuries and illness caused by their job, after many had turned to crowdfunding sites to raise money for their healthcare.

Biden also has signed a $600-million boost for firefighter pay and efforts to convert seasonal firefighters to permanent, year-round employees - but workers say they are still waiting to see their paychecks jump.

Binnie O'Dwyer walks through her flood-damaged home in Lismore, Australia. March 12, 2022. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Elise Derwin

Looking for a great documentary? Don't miss the first instalment of our new Earth Focus series, looking at how pollution in a low-income Los Angeles community has become one of the biggest determiners of health.

Also don't miss this fascinating look at how an environmental pushback against energy-hungry bitcoin mining is starting to take off in the United States.

See you next week!

Laurie