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A national firefighter labor shortage is making it harder to suppress massive wildfires across the West, with fewer federal teams that Oregon can ask for help.

A tanker plane that disappeared in eastern Oregon while fighting one of the many wildfires spreading across several Western states has been found, and the pilot on board is dead, authorities said Friday.

The program has been running in Clackamas, Jackson, Klamath and Wasco counties. It recently expanded to Corvallis, Coos Bay and Umatilla County.

Even when suicidal, California firefighters struggle to find medical help and navigate the workers’ comp morass to pay for it. A 2021 analysis showed their claims were more likely to involve PTSD — and were denied more often.

Agency officials said firefighters are hard to hire and retain, and are often left to sleep in their trucks or camp on the job due to a lack of housing.

Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much.

The volunteer fire department in Yreka, California is in desperate need of upgrades. The city is considering a 1% sales tax to put on the November ballot that could help alleviate staffing and facility issues.

Grants Pass approved a utility fee to fund public safety services on Wednesday. But council members warn that likely isn’t a long-term solution.

Yreka’s all-volunteer fire department is struggling to attract new firefighters, and the ones they already have are getting burned out from a dramatic increase in calls. The city is looking at what it would take to fund full-time firefighters instead.

As the cost of fighting wildfires increases, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner has proposed a bill — developed in consultation with the logging industry — that would shift millions in expenses away from the biggest landowners and onto taxpayers.

Residents in Josephine County have the opportunity to provide input on the creation of a rural fire district at a town hall meeting this Thursday. County commissioners are looking at their options when dealing with this previously unpopular idea.

After several years of devastating wildfires, California lawmakers want to give hefty raises to Cal Fire firefighters. The deal could tie the governor’s hands in contracts.