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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Gabrielle Canon

‘We’re near a breaking point:’ firefighters say US government is failing them amid intense wildfire season

a wildfire burns trees
The Plaskett fire burns on 28 August 2026, in Big Sur, California. Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP

Firefighters battling enormous wildfires in the United States say the federal government is failing them at a time when supercharged blazes have made their jobs exponentially more dangerous.

While the US continues to grapple with a critical shortage of federal firefighters – with especially large gaps in essential management positions – the Trump administration has increased pressure on firefighting forces to rapidly and aggressively contain the flames.

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