Montana increasing wildland firefighter hourly pay to $15.50

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The state of Montana is increasing its base pay for seasonal firefighters to a minimum of $15.50 an hour to help recruit and retain highly qualified personnel. Firefighters will see a pay increase of $1.70 per hour. The governor’s office and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation say the pay increase will make Montana competitive with other fire protection agencies in the region. Last summer, federal firefighters received a raise to increase their minimum pay to $15 an hour. Gov. Greg Gianforte and the director of the DNRC say longer fire seasons with more extreme fire behavior make having a fully staffed firefighting workforce a top priority.