WASHINGTON — Federal wildland firefighters will soon be eligible for additional hazard pay while conducting prescribed burns and other qualifying fire-management operations under newly finalized federal rules.
Previously, federal firefighters generally received hazard pay when responding to uncontrolled wildfires, but not while intentionally burning vegetation and forest debris to reduce the risk and severity of future fires.
Under the updated policy, qualifying prescribed-burn duties will be eligible for 25% hazard pay, providing additional compensation on top of a firefighter’s regular earnings for the time covered by the rule. The change is expected to take effect in September.
The Office of Personnel Management said the change was requested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of the Interior.
Federal officials argued that firefighters performing prescribed burns can face many of the same physical, chemical and biological hazards encountered during wildfire suppression operations.
Approximately 12,500 federal firefighters working for the two departments could benefit from the expanded hazard-pay eligibility, according to federal estimates.
The National Federation of Federal Employees has advocated for expanding hazard-pay protections for wildland firefighters for several years, including efforts dating back to at least 2022.
NFFE National President Randy Erwin called the change another step toward ensuring federal wildland firefighters are properly compensated for work performed while protecting communities from wildfire threats.
Prescribed burns are an important part of wildfire prevention and forest management. Crews intentionally burn accumulated vegetation and other combustible material under controlled conditions, reducing the amount of fuel available for potentially destructive wildfires.
The new compensation rules recognize that although these operations are planned and controlled, the firefighters carrying them out can still face significant hazards from fire, smoke, heat and other dangerous conditions.
