On the morning of August 27, 2025, an unprecedented event unfolded on the smoky front lines of the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington state. As flames tore through nearly 9,000 acres in and around Olympic National Park, federal immigration officials arrived at the scene—not to join the firefight, but to arrest two firefighters and sideline dozens more. The incident, described by wildfire veterans as a breach of longstanding emergency protocols, has sent shockwaves through the wildland fire community and sparked heated debate about the intersection of immigration enforcement and public safety.
According to Stateline.org, the operation began when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, acting on an investigation by the federal Bureau of Land Management, pulled aside two crews of firefighters. These crews, comprised of workers from private companies contracted to help battle the Bear Gulch blaze, had reportedly been told they were heading out to cut firewood for the local community. But when they arrived at the designated staging area, things took an unexpected turn. The supervisor who was supposed to meet them never showed up. Instead, unmarked law enforcement vehicles rolled in, and federal officials began questioning the firefighters about their immigration status.
“They were told they were going to cut firewood,” Scott Polhamus, secretary of the Organization of Fire Contractors and Affiliates, told Stateline. “The people that were supposed to meet them never showed up, and eventually immigration showed up instead.”
For the two firefighters arrested for being in the country illegally, the consequences were immediate. But the effects rippled far beyond those individuals. In total, 42 additional firefighters were removed from the fire scene. The government terminated its contracts with the companies whose workers were checked, including Table Rock Forestry Inc.—even though, according to Polhamus, the company’s crew had legal H-2B visas. The reason for the demobilization? Allegedly, a half-hour discrepancy on a time sheet. “Table Rock Forestry is a member of the fire contractors’ group,” Polhamus explained. “We were able to show that our firefighters all had legal H-2B visas, but the crew was still sent home.”
While the Border Patrol claimed the operation did not interfere with firefighting efforts, many on the ground strongly disagreed. “It’s total bulls***,” said Riva Duncan, a former wildland fire chief with more than 30 years in the U.S. Forest Service, as reported by Stateline. “Whoever made that statement doesn’t understand the work. To take two crews off of a fire that’s only 13% contained, that seems ridiculous at that point in a fire. That does seem very unusual.”
The raid has left many in the firefighting community feeling betrayed and fearful. “There’s a lot of brown bodies out there on the fire line,” said Bobbie Scopa, a 45-year firefighting veteran and executive secretary with Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. “When the rumble from this goes around, we’re going to have contractors unable to put out as many crews as they were. We don’t know what the requirement is not to get shipped off by ICE. Even if you’re a citizen and you look the wrong way, you could still get picked up.”
Stateline’s reporting revealed that many wildfire veterans believe the California Interagency Incident Management Team 7, which was overseeing the Bear Gulch fire response, played a key role in the operation. Several sources, including a firefighter present at the raid, suggested that Team 7 leaders sent the crews to a remote location under false pretenses, effectively setting them up for an immigration check. “I felt beyond betrayed,” said the firefighter, who requested anonymity to protect his career. “What they did was messed up. They’d been talking in their briefings about building relationships and trust. For them to say that and then go do this is mind-boggling. It boiled my blood.”
Team 7 Incident Commander Tom Clemo declined to comment, citing an active investigation. However, wildfire professionals across the country have been buzzing with anger and disbelief, with many expressing their outrage on forums and social media. The feeling of betrayal runs deep, especially given the dangerous nature of wildland firefighting and the trust required among team members.
The two crews targeted in the raid were notably diverse, with many Hispanic members and several foreign workers in the country legally on H-2B visas. “Immigrants make up a huge portion of forestry and fire, they’re an integral part of this industry,” Polhamus emphasized. For many in the industry, the raid has raised fears that fire camps could become targets for immigration enforcement, deterring much-needed workers from joining the front lines. “If you’re a migrant worker and this starts happening, are you going to keep on doing that and risk getting picked up?” Scopa asked. “If [immigration authorities] keep visiting fire camps, we will definitely have fewer contract crews.”
According to Duncan, time card discrepancies are not uncommon in wildfire response, where crews often work long days and the lines between breaks and working hours can blur. “This is not the first time a crew has been called on the carpet for maybe padding their time a bit,” she said. “You deal directly with the company. It’s just absolutely mind-boggling to treat it as a criminal issue.” After briefly discussing the time card, federal agents reportedly spent the next three hours checking each firefighter’s immigration status.
The fallout from the raid has extended to state and local officials. Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove, who heads the state’s lead wildfire response agency, issued a statement sharply criticizing the federal government’s approach. “The Trump administration’s crude and inhumane approach to immigration enforcement has intentionally and unnecessarily stoked fear and mistrust among members of the public—including firefighters putting their lives on the line to protect our State,” he wrote.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources said it was not informed of the incident until well after the fact, noting that federal officials did not notify state counterparts about the investigation. The fire response was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, whose press officers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Amid the controversy, legal advocates have stepped in to support those affected. One of the arrested firefighters, represented by Innovation Law Lab, has reportedly been in the U.S. since he was four years old and served as a firefighter for the past three years. Isa Peña, the group’s director of strategy, said, “Conducting immigration enforcement while brave members of our community are risking their lives to protect us is really disgusting.”
As the Bear Gulch Fire continues to burn, the raid has left a lasting mark on the wildland fire community. Many worry that the chilling effect on recruitment and morale could hamper the nation’s ability to fight wildfires at a time when crews are needed most. The three principal wildland fire values—duty, respect, integrity—have been called into question, with Duncan lamenting, “Utmost in that is taking care of your people. If you can’t trust the people you’re working with when things get hairy, that’s a concern.”
For now, the Bear Gulch Fire rages on, but the debate over immigration enforcement on the fire line is burning just as hot. The events of August 27 have not only changed the course of one wildfire—they may have altered the landscape of wildland firefighting in America for years to come.
