Oregon Senators urge reinstatement of BLM fire information staff ahead of fire season
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Patty Murray, D-Washington, today demanded the Trump administration reinstate 13 federal employees in Oregon and Washington state. These Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, employees, include Public Affairs Officers and Public Information Officers. They received reassignment letters in May, leaving critical communication roles vacant at the start of fire season in a region facing record low snowpack and worsening drought.
The senators sounded an alarm over the abrupt termination of these roles, which are crucial for disseminating life-saving information to communities regarding fire conditions and evacuations. Some of the affected employees also held "red card" certifications, qualifying them to assist with wildland firefighting operations. The removal of these personnel leaves communities in Oregon and Washington without the necessary resources for public safety during potential wildfires and without an apparent plan to replace them.
U.S. Sens. Wyden, D-Oregon, Merkley, D-Oregon, and Murray, D-Washington, directly communicated their concerns regarding the reassignments in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
"It is extremely concerning that there are now zero on-the-ground, district level personnel to communicate critical public safety information to our constituents, the media and local officials," the senators wrote. They added that "removing these employees...at the very start of fire season with no apparent plan to replace them leaves communities across our states without the information and resources they need to stay safe during fires; this may have life-threatening consequences."
A whistleblower, identified as a long-serving, fire-qualified member of the wildland fire community, voiced deep concern over the loss of experienced communicators. "Public Affairs Specialists and Public Information Officers are not simply media contacts, they are trained members of the incident response system who help ensure communities receive timely evacuation notices, safety information and updates during rapidly evolving emergencies," the whistleblower stated.
The whistleblower further emphasized that "removing experienced fire-qualified personnel from these roles means losing decades of institutional knowledge, local relationships and wildfire response experience when those skills are needed most." They added, "As Oregon and Washington face the potential for another severe fire season, reducing the capacity to communicate critical public safety information risks leaving communities less informed and less prepared during emergencies. Public information is a core component of wildfire response and weakening that capability has real consequences for public safety."
Oregon and Washington face a potentially historic wildfire season, driven by record low snowpack and worsening drought conditions. The senators noted that previous budget and staffing cuts by the Trump administration have already diminished resources and personnel available for fire preparation and combat across much of the West. These recent reassignments are expected to further hinder local communities in Oregon and Washington from obtaining up-to-date fire information and evacuation notices.
