OPM is proposing to expand hazard pay eligibility for federal wildland firefighters, including a 25% premium when employees are assigned to prescribed burns—work that agencies use to reduce fuels and lower future wildfire risk.
- Proposed change: The Office of Personnel Management would update hazard pay rules to cover more wildland fire duties tied to wildfire mitigation, including prescribed burning, according to GovExec — Pay & Benefits.
- Premium amount: Eligible employees would receive 25% hazard pay for qualifying work on prescribed burns, GovExec reported.
- Who could benefit: The proposal targets federal wildland firefighters and other covered federal employees performing duties that meet the hazard-pay criteria under OPM’s premium pay regulations.
- Type of pay: Hazard pay is a form of premium pay that increases compensation for performing duties involving unusually hazardous conditions.
- What’s different: The proposed rule would treat more proactive activities—work intended to prevent or reduce wildfire severity—as qualifying hazards, not just reactive suppression work, GovExec reported.
- Status: This is a proposed regulation, not a final rule. Implementation would depend on OPM completing the rulemaking process.
Brief context
Federal wildland firefighters have pushed for broader pay reforms and clearer compensation rules as agencies rely more heavily on year-round fuels management and prescribed fire to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk. Prescribed burns can involve smoke exposure, shifting fire behavior, difficult terrain, and other operational hazards similar to suppression assignments, but pay eligibility has not always aligned with that reality.
GovExec — Pay & Benefits reported that OPM’s proposal would update the governmentwide hazard-pay framework so that more mitigation-focused assignments can trigger the 25% premium. If finalized, the change could increase take-home pay for employees who spend significant time on prescribed burning and related fuels work—especially during seasons when agencies emphasize prevention and landscape treatment alongside suppression readiness.
What it means for you
If you’re a federal wildland firefighter (or supporting employee) who works prescribed burns:
- You may see higher earnings during qualifying prescribed-burn assignments if the rule is finalized and your duties meet the criteria.
- The increase is assignment-based, meaning it would apply when you’re performing the covered hazardous duty—not necessarily to all hours worked year-round.
- To estimate what a 25% premium could mean for your own paycheck, you can run scenarios using a federal pay raise calculator.
Source: GovExec — Pay & Benefits