When Fire Meets ICE: An Op-Ed for Our Community

Stopping firefighters mid-battle is more than reckless—it’s an insult to public safety and to everyone breathing the smoke.

During an active wildfire in Washington State, U.S. Border Patrol agents under President Trump raided a fire camp, lined up crews, checked IDs for hours, and arrested two firefighters. Hours—while a wildfire kept burning. In any sane system, you don’t halt the hands holding the hose.

I work on Adaptive Resiliency, from the standpoint of both self and collective preservation, and I’m stunned. Wildfires don’t pause for paperwork. Every diverted minute is a minute the flames win. Treating firefighters like suspects in the middle of an emergency doesn’t make us safer; it weakens the very line that protects homes, forests, and lives.

Let’s say the quiet part out loud: many wildland crews include immigrants, tribally affiliated teams, and contracted workers who take on brutal, lifesaving shifts to protect all of us. If we punish people for serving the public—during the emergency itself—we fail on safety, ethics, and basic decency.

The public gets it. Reactions poured in: “Fake heroes arresting ACTUAL heroes.” “What’s next, arresting doctors in the middle of surgery?” “Firefighters that were Native Americans—let that sink in.” One person wrote, “It should be illegal for ICE, federal agents, or even cops to interfere with firefighters who are fighting an ongoing fire.” Another said it plain: “Any ICE officers watching? You know this is stupid.” You don’t need a policy degree to hear the common sense.

This is not left versus right. This is safe versus unsafe. Fires don’t check party registration before they jump a road. In a time of Climate and Ecological (Green) disruption, we need more trained responders, not fewer; more cooperation, not chaos.

Here’s what must happen now:

First, no raids at disaster sites—period. Unless there’s an immediate threat to life, you do not interrupt active emergency operations. Put it in writing, train it, enforce it.

Second, Incident Command first. If law enforcement must be nearby, they coordinate with the incident commander and time their work to avoid operational windows. No pulling crews off the line during a live burn.

Third, protect the workforce. Create clear “safe-pass” protocols for responders during declared emergencies. If identity questions exist, handle them after the danger passes, with dignity and due process.

Fourth, transparency. Publish the full timeline: who showed up, who approved the operation, how long crews were sidelined, and how many worker-hours were lost while the fire advanced. Sunlight builds trust—and prevents repeats.

I’m blown-away because this was avoidable. I’m also dismayed because it signals the wrong priorities. I’m even shocked because it puts everyone—residents, firefighters, and neighboring communities—at greater risk. We are living through overlapping emergencies, and our policies must reflect that reality. Adaptive Resiliency means we protect people first, then sort out non-urgent matters after the danger is contained.

If our leaders truly value safety, they’ll codify these guardrails immediately and apologize to the crews who were taken off task. If our local editors, reporters, and readers value truth, they’ll keep asking: Who ordered this? Why during active operations? How will you stop it from happening again?

We can debate policy. We cannot debate flames. Let firefighters fight fires. Then, and only then, handle the rest—lawfully, respectfully, and away from the front line.

I share this op-ed only because of my deep concern for the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

Here are some comments from the public:

Voices from the public (a sampling)

These are not my words—they’re from everyday people reacting to the news, and they capture how reckless and needless this was:

“Fake heroes arresting ACTUAL heroes.” — @johneggers1400 (9.1K likes)
“What’s next, arresting doctors in the middle of surgery.” — @HASUR19XX (6.6K)
“I didn’t know that the ‘hardened criminals’ spent their free time fighting wild fires.” — @porcelain_madame (4.7K)
“Firefighters that were NATIVE Americans, let that sink in…” — @tetsuoshima2314 (4.4K)
“South Park wasn’t lying—ICE would raid heaven if they could.” — @darkrules1 (4K)
“Native Americans are the original. We are the Immigrants!” — @patrickwhelan5703 (4K)
“If no reporter asks Trump about this, they are truly failing to do their job.” — @only1muppet (1.6K)
“This is what racism looks like.” — @Seafishing-f1t (519)
“It should be illegal for ICE, Fed agents, or even cops to interfere with firefighters who are fighting an ongoing active fire.” — @michelleparker3520 (1.1K)
“Once again the Indigenous people have to prove their right to be here. Wild.” — @Janus1000 (1.4K)
“Wow… during a fire?! Just wow! This is what y’all voted for.” — @lisaloki5337 (2.3K)
“As a former firefighter, this just makes my blood boil… Firefighters are HEROES!” — @AllanTheWizard (158)
“Any ICE officers watching? Come on and tell the truth—you know this is stupid.” — @edl653 (398)
“Interfering in an active firefighter’s duties during an emergency is a criminal offense.” — @dustinbragg1921 (14)
“Can you imagine the insanity of stopping firefighters from fighting a fire?” — @lisaduran7032 (219)