Sen. Adam Schiff has called on several U.S. agencies to exempt seasonal wildland firefighters from the federal hiring freeze, amid concerns about readiness for future wildfires. President Trump’s executive order had halted onboarding for thousands of firefighters, potentially leading to a shortfall ahead of the next fire season. Schiff wrote a letter to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the Office of Management and Budget urging them to exempt federal firefighters from the freeze. As of Friday, wildland firefighters had not been considered exempt from the hiring freeze, despite their critical role in public safety. The Department of the Interior stated that exemptions for positions related to public safety are allowed under the executive order. The U.S. Forest Service, a key firefighting agency, has been credited with saving a neighborhood during recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Schiff expressed alarm that federal firefighters are not included in the exemption and called for immediate action to ensure the hiring and retention of seasonal firefighters. The OMB and USDA did not immediately respond to Schiff’s letter. The Office of Personnel Management, which can grant exemptions, also did not respond to questions about whether seasonal firefighters would be considered exempt. The importance of seasonal firefighters in protecting communities, infrastructure, and public lands from wildfires was emphasized in Schiff’s letter.
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