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Even as wildfires worsen, federal firefighters are poorly compensated—and Biden-era raises are about to expire.
As fire season winds down, firefighters employed by the federal government are facing what they say is another potential disaster: significant pay cuts that could trigger a mass exodus of workers. A temporary raise implemented by the Biden administration is scheduled to run out at the end of this year, and legislation that would permanently increase wildland firefighter salaries has stalled in Republican-controlled committees in Congress. Some now say the stability of the nation’s federal firefighting force hinges on this year’s election.