Fighting a Wildfire Won't Save You
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What sets Yessenia's writing apart from other climate reporting is how much personality is visible in her words. You can tell that, alongside reporting rigorously and carefully fact-checking, she poured her heart into the work.
LISTENING: to my cat cry outside my door
FEELING: grateful for the autumn breeze
SEEING: my nails slowly start to chip and break
Last week, the Seattle Times broke the news that federal agents detained two firefighters working on the Bear Gulch fire in Washington state.
Imagine risking your life to protect the safety and well-being of others, only to have the country you serve turn its back on you and arrest you. This is now the reality for the two men whose identities have not yet been released.
As of Thursday last week, lawyers representing one of the men have not been able to locate him. I reached out to the legal team Wednesday seeking an update. I'll let you all know if I hear back. The legal team over at Innovation Law Lab published a statement and sent a letter to Senator Ron Wyden. The statement reads:
Our client was unlawfully detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection while actively serving as a firefighter on the frontlines of the Bear Gulch fire in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and it was all caught on video. Since his arrest, CBP has concealed his whereabouts, blocking his family and lawyer from contacting him, failing to update the ICE detainee locator, and refusing to confirm his location through Department of Homeland Security systems. Yet, CBP still issued a press release claiming that our client had been transferred to the Bellingham Border Patrol station and wrongfully charged with “improper entry” under 8 U.S.C. § 1325.
When his attorneys called the Bellingham station, CBP refused to confirm his detention or allow access. Only later did a CBP attendant acknowledge that our client was being transferred to ICE custody—while still denying his right to counsel.
We demand his immediate release. DHS must stop concealing his whereabouts, honor his constitutional right to due process, and grant him access to his attorney. His detention is unlawful, arbitrary, and a profound abuse of power.
These are unprecedented times. The man wasn't even undocumented, yet he's in federal detention. His family secured legal visas to be in the U.S. because of a federal crime committed against them. He came to the U.S. when he was 4 years old. What recollection does he have of his early years abroad? His home is in Oregon.
When I visited California earlier this year as part of a wildfire institute, I wondered about the firefighting workforce. Day laborers are largely Latino immigrants. Latino immigrants work in agriculture and landscaping, so I was curious if they were also represented in the forestry industry. I tried to ask our hosts about the men who fight fires and conduct prescribed burns, and I was assured that immigrants didn't make up that workforce. I see now that my instinct was right.
Indeed, this event is likely to affect wildland firefighting squads across the U.S. Workers believe their own managers sold out their colleagues. How disgraceful. Now, they have to work distracted when their priority should be putting out this fire.
If you're a federal worker or know companies that contract for CalFire or the Forest Service, please reach out. I'm wondering how many more firefighters will be at risk if they show up to the job. How dependent is the U.S. firefighting force on immigrant labor? We know prison labor already makes up more than it should, but I'm not sure about immigrants. Any leads would be helpful.
As of Wednesday, the Bear Gulch fire remains active. It's been burning since July 6 with over 9,000 acres incinerated—enough to cover 10 Central Parks and then some. It's only 10 percent contained. And wildfire season isn't over yet. 🌀
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