Two firefighters were arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while they tackled a 9,000-acre wildfire in Washington, the Department of Natural Resources said.
Pictures and video show federal agents confronting private contracting fire crews and demanding identification from firefighters.
“You risked your life out here to save the community. This is how they treat us,” one firefighter, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Seattle Times.
Firefighters were reportedly sworn at by federal agents and denied the chance to say goodbye to the detained crew members.
“I asked them if his [family] can say goodbye to him because they’re family, and they’re just ripping them away. And this is what he said: ‘You need to get the f–k out of here. I’m gonna make you leave,’” the firefighter said.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said he was “deeply concerned about this situation” in a statement on X on Thursday morning, following the incident on the Olympic Peninsula on Wednesday.
“I’ve directed my team to get more information about what happened,” he said, after an incident commander on the Bear Gulch wildfire confirmed that a DHS operation had taken place.
The incident commander said his team was “aware of a Border Patrol operation on the fire,” but added that it was not interfering with the response to Washington state’s largest wildfire, which has been burning since July 6.
The arrested firefighters were cutting wood for the local community close to Lake Cushman when they were seized, according to coworkers.
The crew that was raided was among the 400 people, including federal firefighters, deployed to tackle the blaze, which is still burning across nearly 9,000 acres just west of Seattle.
Of the six 20-person hand crews working on the Bear Gulch fire, five are private contractors, according to the Seattle Times.
So far, the blaze is only 13 percent contained, as long stretches of dry, hot weather have enabled its spread over the past eight weeks.
It is expected to burn into the fall, when it is hoped that lower temperatures and increased rain will help dampen the flames.
The DHS, ICE, and Border Patrol did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
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