Federal firefighters fight policy that stymies their advancement

The Washington Post: Come May, Craig Utter will begin his 11th season of his dangerous, dirty job fighting wildland fires with the U.S. Forest Service.

He goes to places so remote, he needs a helicopter to get there. “There” is all over the country. “Last summer I was in California for two weeks, home for two days, then to Missoula for a week, home for a week and then to Alaska for two weeks, home for three weeks then to North Carolina for a week and then Texas for a week and then back to Idaho,” said Utter, who is lives in McCall, Idaho.

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