California to hire 1,400 more firefighters as the state braces for wildfire season

California will spend more than $80 million in emergency funds to hire nearly 1,400 additional seasonal firefighters, ahead of this year’s peak fire season.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced the emergency fund expenditure in a statement Tuesday.

“In California, climate change is making the hots hotter and the dries drier, leaving us with world record-breaking temperatures and devastating wildfires threatening our communities,” Newsom said. “We aren’t just waiting for the next crisis to hit — this funding will support our heroic firefighters to save lives as they work to prevent and tackle destructive wildfires.”

By using an emergency fund authorization, Newsom is trying to get seasonal firefighters hired and trained before the state’s fire season begins, said Tim Edwards, president of Cal Fire Local 2881, the union representing Cal Fire firefighters.

“He is making the decision to bring these firefighters on as soon as possible because he knows the need for them,” Edwards said.

This marks a significant boost to the number of firefighters working for the state. Cal Fire employs about 5,400 full-time firefighters, Edwards said.

The hiring spree comes as the state prepares for a potentially catastrophic fire season; much of the state is experiencing persistent drought conditions. It also comes in the aftermath of a brutal 2020 fire season: Five of the six worst fires in state history occurred in 2020.

Edwards said he is grateful to the governor for being proactive, but that the state is still a long way away from being adequately staffed, particularly with the loss of inmate hand crews. While the state strategic plan calls for 400 engines, Edwards said, Cal Fire has 346.

“We still have a huge hurdle to clear through the legislators for an overall increase to Cal Fire to deal with these fires,” Edwards said.

This story was originally published March 30, 2021 at 3:03 PM with the headline "California to hire 1,400 more firefighters as the state braces for wildfire season."