Federal employees who fight fires for a living are grossly underpaid. That fact may have led to the old saying that they are “paid in sunsets.” Wildland firefighters usually battle fires in very remote areas and have opportunities to see sunsets from a wide variety of vantage points that are rarely visited by humans. When they see the sunset, they may have dragged themselves out of a sleeping bag on the ground 14 hours earlier and are dog-tired, dirty, sweaty, thirsty, and *hangry. But if the clouds, smoke, landscape, and sun all cooperate at the right time, they may take a minute to drink some of the last (warm) water they still have while enjoying and saving a mental snapshot of a red sunset enhanced by smoke. And then someone yells “Bump Up,” and they grab their tool again — with that image lingering in their mind. Tomorrow’s shift will be better.
Snow this time of the year can create excellent opportunities for land managers to burn debris piles left over from fuel reduction, thinning, or timber harvesting operations. The snow reduces the chances of the fire creeping out into dry vegetation, and when backs are turned igniting a wildfire.
Like many other parks and forests, the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota and Wyoming has been burning piles in recent days. In their case, near Sheridan Lake, Deadwood South Dakota, and 10 miles south-southeast of Sundance, Wyoming.
Let’s be careful out there.
*Hangry: bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger.
While sunsets are a nice perk, and we certainly get to see some of the most beautiful parts of the country, often under the most extreme conditions, there’s no doubt that forestry technicians (fire) are grossly underpaid. The myth of growing fat off of a government salary has been so thoroughly debunked, it’s not even worth addressing.
And to the “go do something else” crowd, I’m curious how, exactly that transition works. Unless you’re a true seasonal – which realistically means we’re discussing GS-5 13/13 or 1039’s and below – the meaning of the phrase so blithely being thrown around means ‘subject yourself and your family to massive financial instability, while giving up a career that has meaning and is one of the great passions of your life’.
I didn’t (and I don’t know anyone who did) get into fire because I thought I was going to become wealthy chasing smoke. But there’s a huge difference between knowing that you’ll never make millions doing something you believe in, and struggling to get by while doing that job. To make matters worse, the new budget model is effectively killing the career and experience building detail process, and every year we are subject to “death by a thousand cuts” – the latest of which is the elimination of transfers of station funding.
The attitude of “thanks for being flexible” and “doing more with less” has been hollowing out the land management agencies for years, and has reached critical mass. Sunsets are nice, but they aren’t enough to recruit and retain the number of quality people we need to do the business of caring for our national lands.
I agree 100%. My point is that everyone in this profession (mostly speaking of the federal, under paid folks) has a choice to stay in it after the seasonal years, or move on. If you choose stay, know that it won’t be easy to make a living. It will be rewarding, but consider all of your live choices (family, money, health, etc.) before you decide. Also, if you stay, effect change as others reading this forum are doing. Don’t complain and spread doom and gloom. Enjoy the “sunsets” of the job and do something about your complaints.
Go do something else then…I agree. Who’s forcing you to work in this field?
Joe, I already responded to Jeff but I respectfully disagree. Just because that’s your take on it doesn’t mean you can’t empathize with Ben. Clearly he’s speaking from experience. It’s all too easy to preach the gospel of ‘pulling yourself up by your bootstraps’ but the reality is far different.
It’s fine to disagree, but to minimize the lifelong effort it takes to succeed in wildland fire is over the line. And that’s what it is when you say ‘go do something else,’
What should I do- I spent 20 years on IHCs- didn’t complain, worked hard and got after it. Still am. Knees and back are gone and I’m pretty certain I’ve got cancer. So climb off your high horse and try to keep quiet while others try to affect positive change please
It is indeed a failing of this great country that those who take on some of dirtiest and dangerous jobs and put themselves at the greatest risk are paid so poorly. The titans of wall street are paid millions to push paper and those who actually make the country safer and prosper earn pauper wages.
And you will be “Paying for that Sunset” too! The enhanced sunsets are due to wildfire smoke leading to a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular diseases amongst wildland firefighters. Oh and don’t forget cancer too from sleeping in that smoke!
And when you come home and your partner has left you for someone who is actually home for a summer vacation or when your kids don’t recognize you from all the fire assignments, I hope you look back fondly on your sunset and determine that it was worth it.
Meanwhile, we’ll keep fighting for living wages and decent treatment from an abusive employer.
Thanks.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30981117/
Right on !
Wow, go do something else….
“Always look on the bright side of life!” (MP)
Right on Jeff! I am sick and tired of hearing all the whining of how “we aren’t paid enough”, or “They Don’t pay us enough to do this job”. Well… like you said go get another job! I have heard that since I was a GS-2, I wasn’t complaining then and I’m not now either.
Jeff- respectfully disagree. After spending decades in a profession, it’s tough to ‘go do something else,’ especially with kids and a mortgage. Even more so at COVID unemployment rates. All the folks who are bringing this to light are asking for us a living wage. Have a bit of empathy.
I would say that some of the night time lightning shows I got to witness in the great basin back when I was a gs2 making under 3 bucks/hr were pretty good payment.
Decades later,over a span of 20 years, got to see a lot of spectacular sights from the front of a lot of planes and helicopters. I would often remind myself(and the pilot) that normal folks paid a lot of money to go on scenic flights….lol..
Always considered those perks as a reward for the times when the job was tough, dirtier than dirt and downright stressful.