"Inside the World of America's Elite Hotshot Firefighters"
Hotshot fire crews, elite U.S. firefighters who battle the biggest wildfires in the American West, work in extreme conditions for long periods of time, often without access to basic amenities like showers or cellphone signals. They use hand tools and chain saws to carve out dirt tracks to control the spread of fires. Despite the dangers and low pay, hotshots are drawn to the camaraderie and the challenge of the job. A report by the University of Washington highlights the pay disparity between federal firefighters and their counterparts in state agencies, leading to legislation that aims to raise the base pay of entry-level federal firefighters.