Lawmakers seek clarification following arrests of firefighters at Bear Gulch fire scene

Two wildland firefighters, who entered the U.S. illegally, were arrested by federal law enforcement during the ongoing Bear Gulch fire in Washington. The firefighters, employed by contracted work crews ASI Arden Solutions Inc. and Table Rock Forestry Inc., were in a support role, cutting logs into firewood, when they were apprehended.

The fire, one of Washington's largest, currently spans over 9,200 acres and was 13% contained as of Saturday afternoon, according to a federal interagency report. The firefighting response remained uninterrupted during the arrests.

Todd Graves, president of the Washington Contract Firefighters Association, praised the arrested crews, stating they are "hardworking and professional." Randall, a wildland firefighter, emphasised the critical role of fuel management, such as cutting firebreaks and chopping logs, in fighting wildfires in rocky, hilly, and densely forested terrain.

The Department of Homeland Security, however, claimed that the two arrested were not technically firefighters because they were cutting wood. The U.S. Department of the Interior, on the other hand, defines an entry-level wildland firefighter as someone who chops brush.

The arrests have received swift backlash from elected leaders across the Northwest and nationwide. Fifty members of Congress have questioned the action in a letter to DHS, CBP, and the Bureau of Land Management. Lawmakers claim that standard emergency protocols "shield first responders" working in hazardous conditions from ICE, and they assert that these protocols were not followed.

On Friday, Congress members Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger wrote an open letter to the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Land Management regarding the detention conditions of the two firefighters arrested for illegal border crossing during the Bear Gulch wildfire. They requested information on Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies concerning arrests in disaster areas.

The USDA Forest Service is aware of a Border Patrol operation on the Bear Gulch Fire, but there have been no impacts to firefighting efforts, and progress continues to be made on containment. The two arrested firefighters are currently being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.

cfreeman@our website and Isabella Breda contributed to this report.