The Forest Service fears it won’t be prepared for the upcoming Wildfire Season due to a major shortage of firefighters.
While 2021 saw a record number of wildfires, the 2022 season is expected to be worse.
FOX 26 Houston reports that the Fire Service is worried that they won't find enough firefighters and be able to train them in time.
Officials said they are recruiting at local high schools for entry-level positions, adding that it's hard to compete with fast food restaurants that pay the same $15 hourly salary.
There were at least 60,000 wildfires in each of the last two years.
FOX 26 added that earlier this year a federal law increased the starting salary for entry-level firefighters by up to $20,000 to try to help recruitment.
