Updated

Firefighters battling large wildfires across the United States say the federal government is failing to adequately support them amid an intense wildfire season, with crews reporting they are spread thin and under-resourced. A critical shortage of federal firefighters, including large gaps in management positions, has compounded the danger as fires have grown more intense. Crews describe conditions as reaching a breaking point, raising concerns about the country's capacity to respond to worsening fire seasons in the years ahead.