Minnesota Wildfire Season Highlights Need for Fair Compensation and Rest for DNR Firefighters

Local 1401 member Victoria Jari, a forester with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), recently worked on the July Lightning Event wildfire as a heavy equipment boss trainee, helping direct bulldozer operations to contain fires that burned more than 70,000 acres in northern Minnesota.  

"It was over 100 degrees those first few days," Jari said. "These fires were intense, making operations very difficult." 

Heavy equipment crews create fuel breaks, clear access routes and help protect firefighters operating near fast-moving fires. 

Local 101 member Emily Greger, a Single Resource Boss, supervises wildland fire crews and equipment in Minnesota and on out-of-state assignments. During the Rabbit II Fire, her crew systematically searched for and extinguished hidden hot spots to prevent reignition. 

While Minnesota wildland firefighters have earned widespread praise this season, MAPE leaders say longstanding workplace issues remain unresolved. 

"These are people that work to protect Minnesota lives, property and natural resources from the threat of wildfire every year, even when it doesn’t make the news," said Local 1401 member Megan Eiting, DNR forester and member of MAPE's DNR Meet and Confer team. "Yet we have continually been met with closed doors at DNR and MMB regarding issues that have long had significant impact on us." 

DNR employees represented by MAPE, AFSCME and MMA attain nationally recognized wildland fire qualifications through training and experience. Qualified employees from all three unions work side-by-side during wildfire response in Minnesota and, when requested, across the United States and Canada. With the increasing demands and risks of wildfire response, inconsistent compensation structure and concerns around time off remain at the forefront of DNR wildland firefighters’ minds. 

MAPE-represented firefighters are raising two key concerns: 

• Unequal use of paid leave and overtime compensation: While performing the same wildfire suppression work, DNR employees from different unions do not have the same contract language regarding paid leave counting as time worked and overtime compensation. 

• Lack of paid rest and recuperation (R & R): DNR firefighters are prohibited from accessing federally reimbursable paid R & R following extended assignments in Minnesota and do not receive paid R & R after extended assignments under DNR jurisdiction, even when paid R & R is offered to federal firefighters. 

“Providing protected time off isn’t just an employee benefit," Eiting said. "It is an essential risk management tool. It is an investment in a safe, effective wildland fire program.” 

For firefighters like Jari, the stakes are personal. 

"You're breathing smoke, working long days and getting really tired," she said. "The work is grueling, and it's critical to have those R&R days to recover and reconnect with loved ones." 

As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, firefighters worry about retention and long-term sustainability. 

"If we're going to be fighting fires all summer under the current contract language, people are going to look for jobs with a better work life balance," Jari said. "We love our jobs, but people are starting to see what the future of wildland firefighting looks like and wonder if it’s worth the wear and tear on our bodies." 

Despite the challenges, firefighters remain committed to public service.  

"We're lucky Minnesota has a great fire training program and a lot of skilled people," Jari added. "I can't say enough good things about my coworkers."