A satellite image of the Bear Gulch Fire shows thick smoke covering Mason County, Washington, as firefighters work to control the blaze that has scorched nearly 9,000 acres in Olympic National Forest and Park. Getty Images
Two firefighters were arrested Wednesday in Washington state while working on the Bear Gulch Fire, the largest wildfire currently burning in the state. Officials said both men were in the country illegally.
The Bear Gulch Fire has already scorched almost 9,000 acres in Olympic National Forest. Crews have battled the blaze since July 6, but it remains only 13 per cent contained.
Border Patrol called to verify workers
The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service asked a local Border Patrol station for help after ending contracts with two firefighting firms. Officials said they needed to confirm the identities of all personnel at the remote work site.
“Several discrepancies were identified, and two individuals were found to be present in the United States illegally, one with a previous order of removal,” the Department of Homeland Security said.
The two firefighters were taken to the Border Patrol station in Bellingham, close to the Canadian border.
Agencies defend continued firefighting efforts
Officials managing the Bear Gulch Fire said they knew about the arrests but stressed that firefighting efforts continue without delay. “The Border Patrol operation is not interfering with firefighting activity and Bear Gulch firefighters continue to make progress on the fire,” they said in a short statement.
The wildfire, believed to be human-caused, has spread quickly through dry conditions made worse by repeated heat waves. Western Washington has faced temperatures more than 20 degrees above normal this summer. A red flag warning stayed in place Thursday as thunderstorms and strong winds threatened to worsen fire behaviour.
Political leaders raise concerns
The arrests quickly drew criticism from Washington lawmakers. Governor Bob Ferguson expressed concern and said he wanted more details. “I have asked my team to reach out to federal agencies for more information, to determine where these two individuals are, and to question why the Trump Administration’s cruel immigration policies now extend to individuals fighting forest fires,” Ferguson said.
Senator Patty Murray also condemned the incident. “Trump has undercut our wildland firefighting abilities in more ways than one—from decimating the Forest Service and pushing out thousands of critical support staff, to now apparently detaining firefighters on the job,” she said. “This administration’s immigration policy is fundamentally sick.”
Federal agencies defend actions
U.S. Border Patrol officials said the arrests were necessary. “U.S. Border Patrol steadfastly enforces the laws of the United States and unapologetically addresses violations of immigration law wherever they are encountered,” said Blaine Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rosario P. Vasquez.
The operation came as the Trump administration intensified its immigration enforcement. Federal officials report nearly 200,000 deportations in the first seven months of Trump’s second term.
It remains unclear whether the federal government will change its approach to immigration enforcement during emergencies. In previous years, agencies suspended such actions during wildfires, except in cases involving public safety threats.
