California budget cuts mean fewer firefighters

Nothing could possibly go wrong with this:

As California closed a gaping budget deficit this year with sweeping cuts to numerous agencies, it saved $34 million by cutting 750 seasonal Cal Fire firefighters. That means one less person per engine unit to haul thousands of feet of hose lines and share the exhausting physical rigors of battling wildfires.

And when I say nothing could possible go wrong, I mean that this is probably the best-case scenario:

"I really thought we could catch it," Cal Fire Capt. Doug Freeman said. "Basically, with the fatigue factor (of using a three-man crew), we just couldn't."

Freeman summoned reinforcements as the blaze that he thought could have been kept to less than 10 acres spread to 133 acres and cost $300,000 to put out.

California is basically betting on the $34 million in cuts to seasonal firefighters not leading to more than $34 million in added costs when fires get out of control because teams are understaffed. The bigger bet, of course, and the thing you really shouldn't bet on, is whether an out-of-control fire will take homes or lives.

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