OPINION: Government purge threatens firefighting efforts

This editorial was published in the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Every summer, wildfires crackle through the dusty shrub-steppe reaches of the Yakima Valley. And every summer, grateful residents thank the firefighters who work their tails off to save lives, homes, personal property and beloved lands.

But this year, crews from the state Department of Natural Resources might not be able to do much when smoke boils ominously over the ridge behind your house or flames threaten your barn.

It’s not their fault — it’s because of a decision by the Trump administration.

Hours after taking office last month, Donald Trump started signing executive orders to block previously approved federal spending, including $200 million the government had promised for Washington wildfire prevention and response. The state was counting on the money to buy firefighting equipment and to reimburse crews for last year’s work.

Last week, though, DNR officials discovered they can’t access a dime of that cash. Nobody from the Trump team notified them ahead of time, and nobody is offering them any explanation.

Apparently, it’s part of Trump’s order to shut down the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Former President Joe Biden signed the act into law in 2022, channeling billions of dollars into grants, incentives and loans for infrastructure investments.

Trump’s blind contempt for his predecessors made it an easy target.

His order, like many he’s signed, is being challenged in court and roundly condemned.

In a letter to the Department of Agriculture, Washington’s Democratic Sen. Patty Murray — who’s vice chairperson of the Senate Appropriations Committee — and a handful of other Western senators, demanded some answers. And they reminded the acting ag secretary, Gary Washington, that federal firefighters are not exempt, and that many have had their job offers rescinded.

The senators also noted what should’ve been obvious to the new federal bosses: skilled and adequately staffed fire crews and reliable equipment are crucial to protecting the nation’s forests and families.

“Addressing the threat of wildfire — even in winter months — should remain a top priority for the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture,” the senators wrote. “The funds provided by Congress for this work led to record-breaking accomplishments in forest management in 2024.

“Halting these payments is not only unlawful but also endangers our rural communities by removing a vital component of their economies and delaying critical work to mitigate the threat of wildfire.”

In the past few weeks, the Trump administration has demonstrated that it doesn’t care about laws or the checks and balances that have kept America stable for more than two centuries. But you’d think the president would at least care about the safety of his constituents in places like the Yakima Valley — which vigorously supported the Trump ticket in the 2024 presidential election.

Without the $200 million promised by the federal government for wildfire prevention and response in Washington, more homes in the Yakima Valley will burn. Some will be owned by Democrats, some by Republicans.

But they all deserve protection from wildfires.

TNS