The government is literally telling firefighters “help is not on the way”

After burning for nearly a month, the Grand Canyon Dragon Bravo fire has reached new heights. Over the weekend, the devastating wildfire grew into the largest wildfire of the year so far in the United States, burning more than 125,000 acres of land with only 13 percent containment. The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group, made of representatives from wildland fire agencies around the country, raised the National Preparedness Level to 4, signaling to agencies that there is a high need for equipment and people to fight fires. As we approach the end of a dry, hot summer, the ongoing wildfire season calls into question the dangers of climate change and how best the National Park Service can respond to imminent threats.

“What we’re likely to see for the remainder of this summer and early fall are fewer ‘red-card’ qualified fire personnel in parks, and because the overall park staffs are reduced, a reluctance on the part of park managers to let them go when ‘fire callups’ occur,” said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. “Park managers won’t be able to allow staff to leave the parks and still meet Department of the Interior Secretary Burgum’s order to keep the parks accessible and provide visitor services at full levels.”