Forest Service Says It Exceeded 2026 Wildfire Hiring Targets
The U.S. Forest Service said it has hired 11,550 seasonal wildland firefighters for the 2026 fire season, surpassing its initial target by about 200, the agency reported on June 17.[1]
The agency said the hiring count is roughly 6% ahead of schedule compared with recent years.[1] The Forest Service said it is now fully staffed as fast-moving western fires ignite near populated areas such as Spokane, Washington.[1]
In February 2025, the Trump administration began mass layoffs at the Forest Service, cutting roughly 3,400 permanent jobs and triggering additional buyouts and early retirements. Those moves have reduced the agency by close to 6,000 permanent employees since President Trump returned to the White House in 2025. On March 31, 2026, the Department of Agriculture announced a reorganization that moves headquarters to Salt Lake City, replaces regional offices with 15 state-based offices, and closes more than 50 research facilities.
So far this year, U.S. wildfires have burned 2,535,885 acres across 32,812 incidents, both totals above the 2016-2025 averages for the same period through June 16. Federal agencies have 37 incident management teams available in 2025-2026, down from 42 in 2024, leaving less spare capacity for extremely large fires.
The mainstream summary presents the Forest Service's hiring achievements without addressing the significant backdrop of staffing reductions that have occurred since 2025. While the agency boasts about exceeding its hiring target, it fails to mention that the total workforce has been drastically cut from approximately 30,000 employees before the layoffs began, leading to a net loss of up to 6,000 permanent positions. This context is crucial, as it highlights the paradox of claiming to be fully staffed while operating with a diminished capacity for wildfire response and management. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the number of incident management teams available has also decreased from 42 in 2024 to just 37 in 2025-2026, indicating a reduced ability to handle large-scale wildfires effectively.[2]
Moreover, the summary does not address the broader implications of climate change on wildfire frequency and severity, which are critical factors in understanding the current fire landscape. Research indicates that human-caused climate change has significantly increased fuel aridity and wildfire areas, suggesting that the challenges faced by the Forest Service are not solely due to staffing levels but also to the escalating environmental conditions they must contend with.[3]
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📊 Relevant Data
The U.S. Forest Service had approximately 30,000 total employees prior to the reductions that began in 2025.
Forest Service Braces For Up to 7000 Layoffs — forestpolicypub.com
As of June 16, 2026, year-to-date U.S. wildfires totaled 32,812 incidents and 2,535,885 acres burned, exceeding the 10-year average of 23,626 fires and 1,431,515 acres.
Statistics — National Interagency Fire Center
Federal agencies had 37 incident management teams available for large-scale wildfires in 2025-2026, compared with 42 teams in 2024.
Forest chief says losing 5000 employees won't impact fire ... — govexec.com
📌 Key Facts
- On June 17, 2026, the U.S. Forest Service reported 11,550 seasonal wildland firefighters hired or in training for the 2026 fire season.
- The total is about 200 above the agency’s initial hiring goal and roughly 6% ahead of schedule compared with recent years.
- Since President Trump returned to the White House in 2025, the Forest Service has lost close to 6,000 permanent employees through layoffs, buyouts or early retirements.
- The agency is undergoing a major reorganization, including moving its headquarters to Utah and closing or consolidating dozens of research facilities and regional offices.
- Western states are described as historically dry, with fast-moving wildfires already igniting near populated areas such as Spokane, Washington.
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