National Interagency Fire Center expects to see an increase in applicants and staff for the next fire season because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
BOISE, Idaho — After the past week's multiple wildfires burning in the state, it is clear, Idaho, much like the rest of the U.S., is officially in fire season. Agencies, like the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), have warned that fire seasons are becoming a thing of the past and what the country is seeing are "year-round events" because fires are starting earlier and lasting longer.
Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in late 2021, which funds $8.25 billion for wildland fire management around the country. A considerable amount of that money is designated for federal wildland firefighter pay increases and will turn many seasonal jobs into full-time positions for the longer fire seasons.
NIFC spokesperson Jessica Gardetto said the goal is to help improve their way of life, while also recruiting and retaining more wildland firefighters.
Gardetto said federal agencies will not begin to see the staffing effects of law until next fire season because they do most of their hiring in the fall which was around the same time Congress passed the law. She said leadership does believe the law will certainly entice new and former wildland firefighters to join crews in 2023.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is going to help us by allowing us to offer better work-life balance," Gardetto said.
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