Government shutdown taking toll on wildfire preparations
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-shutdown-toll-wildfire.html
Although the furloughs only affect federal employees, the collaborative nature of wildland firefighting means the pain of the four-week-long shutdown is having a ripple effect—from firefighters on the ground to federal contractors and top managers who control the firefighting strategy.
State and local crews who need training classes, for example, are scrambling without federal instructors. Conservation groups that work with the U.S. Forest Service to plan wildfire-prevention projects on federal lands are treading water. Annual retreats where local, state and federal firefighting agencies strategize are being called off.