The Washington State Department of Natural Resources said Monday if they don’t get additional funding for training and equipment, the 2017 wildfire season will start with a deficit.
“We actually have a greater need to replace equipment because of those back-to-back fire seasons that put a tremendous amount of stress on our fleet,” said Bob Johnson, who works for the DNR.
That’s why the agency asked lawmakers for $13 million to train 2,000 firefighters, and to repair and replace equipment for the fire season.