Wyoming Faces Critical Decline in Firefighters, Urgent Funding Needed

Strategic Insights -

Wyoming's fire district is grappling with a severe shortage of volunteers, with nearly 90% of its 3,600 firefighters being volunteers. Experts warn that if the trend continues, the state may not be able to fight large wildland fires, highlighting the need for urgent funding to address the issue. The state's Forestry Division is also struggling to recruit inmates for its "smoke buster" crews and faces burnout among employees due to vacant positions. This comes as the state witnessed a historic wildfire season in 2024, with over 2,000 wildfires burned across the state, resulting in over 850,000 acres of burned land and a total cost of $103.3 million.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Wyoming Fire Advisory Board estimates a "significant reduction" in volunteer firefighters, with a potential reduction of 90% of the current 3,600 firefighters available to fight fires.
  • The state's Forestry Division is struggling to recruit inmates for its "smoke buster" crews, which have seen a decline from three crews with 20 inmates each before 2017 to a single crew with around 20 members currently.
  • The state Forestry Division faces burnout among employees due to vacant positions, with staff being pushed to take on additional responsibilities and resulting in over $337,000 in overtime pay for around 35 employees in fiscal year 2025.
  • Local fire districts bear the full cost of the first 24 hours of initial attack of a fire, and the Wyoming State Forestry Division coordinates with federal and state governments to recruit resources, especially aviation, when a county needs extra help.
  • The state's Emergency Fire Suppression Account (ESFA) currently has a cash balance of $52.5 million for the 2025 fiscal year but has $42 million in pending reimbursements from the 2024 calendar year.
  • There is concern that counties may be "stuck with the bill" for firefighting costs if the ESFA is depleted.
  • The Pew Charitable Trusts has warned that wildfires are becoming more catastrophic and costly, with rising costs to state budgets due to frequent and severe natural disasters.
  • Proposed remedies include a module program with four teams of 10 hired seasonal wildland firefighters, creating a separate $10 million account for fire mitigation efforts, and setting a $60 million cap on the ESFA.
  • Experts and appropriators also discussed providing employee contributions for retirement and health insurance for volunteer firefighters.

Statistics:

  • 90% of Wyoming's 3,600 firefighters are volunteers.
  • 2,000 wildfires were burned across the state in 2024.
  • 850,000 acres of land were burned in the 2024 wildfire season.
  • $103.3 million was spent on suppressing wildfires in 2024.
  • $337,000 was spent on overtime pay for around 35 employees in the state Forestry Division in fiscal year 2025.
  • $52.5 million is the current cash balance in the ESFA for the 2025 fiscal year.
  • $42 million is the amount of pending reimbursements from the 2024 calendar year.
  • $10 million is proposed for a separate account for fire mitigation efforts.
  • $60 million is the proposed cap on the ESFA to prevent overdrawn accounts.

Sources:

  • Hannah Shields, "Cheyenne", Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, May 31, 2024
  • Kelly Norris, Wyoming State Forestry Division, testimony
  • Shad Cooper, Sublette County Fire Warden and Wyoming Fire Advisory Board president, testimony
  • Ronojoy Sen, spokesperson for the Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Legislative Service Office memo
  • Senate File 152
  • Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, "Wildfires in Wyoming", May 31, 2024
  • Tribune Content Agency, LLC, distributed by