September 12, 2025
This is fantastic to see.
I have been following this issue all spring and summer, and it first came to light when Forest Service Chief Schultz asked Congress to provide an exemption to the wildland firefighter pay cap. Firefighters working in aviation and on Teams have already reached this cap, and I have reported on Hotshot overhead that are concerned they will be taken out of the fight this fall due to this issue.
Only Congress has the ability to change this, and Senators Bennet and Sheehy have brought legislation to the halls of Congress to provide a fix, permanently.
Additional sponsors of the amendment are Senators Padilla, Daines, Merkley, and Kelly. If agreed to, this would permanently raise the annual pay cap that limits the total compensation a federal wildland firefighter can earn in a calendar year, including overtime and premium pay.
This is now an amendment attached to the National Defense Authorization Act. Many firefighters and critical positions have already reached this limit, just as the PNW and California are ramping up with fire activity.
Here is the full press release put out by the Senators:
Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Montana U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, along with Senators Padilla, Daines, Merkley, and Kelly, introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would permanently raise the annual pay cap that limits the total compensation a federal wildland firefighter can earn in a calendar year, including overtime and premium pay.
“As extreme weather increases, fire seasons in Colorado and across the country intensify,” said Bennet. “The West relies more and more on wildland firefighters to protect our homes and communities, and it is critical that they are fairly compensated. This is a common sense solution that is proven to significantly improve morale and retain wildland firefighters on the front lines of dangerous infernos. I look forward to it being passed.”
“Our wildland firefighters have tremendously important jobs that often require them to be on a fire location for weeks at a time to protect American families and communities from catastrophic wildfire,” said Sheehy. “Removing this hurdle that prevents them from being paid the money they are owed means they can continue to be ready and capable of providing the best response possible without fear of being short changed. This is a long-needed fix to a problem that affects not just these brave first responders, but our ability to combat wildfires across the country. I look forward to seeing this change enacted.”
The Fiscal Year 2025 Continuing Resolution included a permanent base pay increase for wildland firefighters, but does not allow for firefighters to receive overtime and premium pay that exceeds the maximum pay on the GS scale. As a result, hundreds of firefighters are expected to reach or near the cap before the end of the calendar year, according to the USDA, and will be forced to decline critical fire assignments to avoid uncompensated work.
The text of the amendment is available here.