Wildfire veterans furious at DHS claim that raided crews were not firefighters

Source: Nebraska Examiner

By: Alex Brown - September 8, 2025 5:00 am

Wildland fire veterans are seething at a claim made by federal officials that two crews raided by immigration agents at the scene of a wildfire in Washington state were “NOT firefighters.”

Many political figures and media outlets have repeated the claim, even though public documents show the crews have firefighting classifications and were assigned to key frontline roles battling the blaze.

“Everybody in the profession sees through it, but the public doesn’t and that’s concerning,” said Riva Duncan, a former wildland fire chief who served more than 30 years with the U.S. Forest Service. “It’s a lie. Everybody I’ve talked to is very upset about it. It does not just those two crews a disservice, but it does all firefighters a disservice.”

Duncan also serves as vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of wildfire professionals.


Wildland firefighters wait for a helicopter shuttle while battling the Bear Gulch fire in Washington state. (Photo by Bear Gulch Fire 2025 via Facebook)


Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/08/repub/wildfire-veterans-furious-at-dhs-claim-that-raided-crews-were-not-firefighters/