U.S. Forest Service Exceeds 2026 Seasonal Firefighter Hiring Goals by 200 Positions

U.S. Forest Service stated on June 17, 2026, that it has exceeded its wildland firefighter hiring targets for the summer season. The agency reported 11,550 seasonal staff either in training or ready to deploy, a figure about 200 above its initial goals and roughly 6 percent ahead of staffing levels at the same point in recent prior years.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz attributed the numbers to recent pay raises for wildland firefighters. He told NPR that conditions across the West are alarming yet said the Forest Service will be prepared for the season.

Fast-moving wildfires ignited in the last day in and around Spokane, Washington. The agency is also relocating its headquarters to Utah and closing or consolidating dozens of research facilities and regional offices. U.S. Forest Service has lost close to 6,000 permanent staff through layoffs, buyouts, or early retirements.

Washington state Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove said these federal-level layoffs present risk to the ability to respond to major wildfires. Upthegrove stated that a bad fire year could mean a shortage of federal incident command teams and that Washington state is preparing contingency plans.

Many of the permanent positions eliminated in recent months were held by staff who also held red cards, allowing them to deploy to wildfires when needed. The Trump administration has said the reorganization aims to place the agency closer to the forests it manages.