Firefighting Agencies Lose Leaders

With a heat wave raising the danger of wildfires in the West, the Forest Service and other federal agencies are dealing with the effects of an exodus of mid- and upper-level employees in their firefighter ranks, the Associated Press reports. The problem apparently is that many of the people hired in an expansion in the 1970s are now departing (sort of like air traffic controllers).

California is being hit harder than other states because of its high cost of living, AP reports. Forest Service officials there have hired about 800 firefighters since last October but are still short about 470 people. And the real problem is that "there are a lot of people lower down in the system who are five or six years away from being able to compete for leadership jobs," says Ed Hollenshead, regional director of fire and aviation management.