Federal Prescribed-Fire Hazard Pay: OPM Finalizes 25% Differential for Qualifying Crews

Rule status, August 14, 2026: The Office of Personnel Management published a final rule authorizing a 25 percent hazardous-duty or environmental differential for qualifying federal employees performing prescribed-fire work on an active fireline. The rule takes effect September 14, 2026, and applies with the first pay period beginning on or after that date.

Federal wildland firefighters and other qualifying crew members will become eligible for a 25 percent differential when they directly implement or control a prescribed wildland fire on the fireline. The OPM final rule closes a distinction between qualifying wildfire suppression and prescribed-fire operations.

This is not a blanket 25 percent salary raise for every firefighter or every hour near a planned burn. Eligibility is tied to duties, location, and an active fire environment. Agencies remain responsible for determining and paying eligible time.

Who the rule covers

The rule applies to qualifying General Schedule employees, including employees under the GW wildland-firefighter pay-plan code, and Federal Wage System employees. They must participate as members of a firefighting crew in fireline activities directly involving implementation and control of a prescribed wildland fire.

OPM says eligibility is based on the work performed, not the pay-plan label alone. A GW employee is not automatically entitled to the differential for every duty. A non-GW employee is not automatically excluded if that worker meets the same fireline standard.

The final rule establishes hazardous duty pay for covered GS employees and environmental differential pay for covered FWS employees. Both categories use a 25 percent rate, but the governing pay systems and agency calculations differ. Workers should confirm application with their employing agency or payroll office.

What work counts

OPM identifies ignition, holding, patrol, mop-up, fireline construction, and snag felling as examples of prescribed-fire duties that can expose crews to unusual hazards. The agency cites open flame, radiant and convective heat, smoke, unstable terrain, fire-weakened trees, combustion byproducts, and biological hazards.

Pre-ignition preparation is not covered by this new category. Moving equipment into place, staging personnel, planning, and waiting for a burn window do not become qualifying duties merely because a prescribed fire is scheduled. OPM says the covered hazard begins with active-fire implementation and continues through qualifying immediate-aftermath work on the fireline.

That boundary will need clear timekeeping. A crew member may perform covered and non-covered tasks on the same day. Agencies should publish usable instructions so workers and supervisors do not have to guess which time code applies.

A simple duty check

The new rule turns on the work done. Was the worker part of a fire crew? Was the worker on the fireline? Had the burn begun? Did the task help put the planned fire in place or keep it in control? Those facts matter.

Work done before the burn is not in this new pay class. A plan, gear check, road trip, or wait for good wind is not enough by itself. Work on the live line may count. Patrol and mop-up may count when they meet the rule.

Workers should keep normal time and duty records. Supervisors should use one clear rule for each crew. Payroll staff should flag a missed code fast. OPM set the federal rule. Each agency must make the payment system work.

Why OPM adopted the change

The Forest Service and Department of the Interior asked OPM to add prescribed-fire work because crews can face many of the same hazards that support the existing wildfire fireline differential. The final rule says training, personal protective equipment, and standard controls cannot eliminate every risk.

OPM received 92 comments on its April 14 proposed rule. Commenters addressed GW coverage, legal authority, double compensation, pre-ignition preparation, costs, and requests to cover additional aviation or training duties. OPM adopted the proposed regulatory text and 25 percent rate without change.

Some commenters argued that fire hazards are already reflected in firefighter classifications or base pay. OPM responded that Congress amended the governing law to permit hazard pay for occupational series whose primary duties include wildland-fire prevention, control, suppression, or management. The agency also rejected the idea that prescribed fire is risk-free simply because it is planned.

What the rule does not cover

The final rule does not add the requested categories for smokejumper proficiency or training jumps, aviation operations, or air-tanker base work. It also does not extend the prescribed-fire category to general preparation before ignition. Those decisions do not establish that excluded work is safe. They mean that work is not covered by this particular new regulatory category.

The rule also does not guarantee correct payment. Classification, timekeeping, supervisor approval, payroll configuration, and agency guidance still matter. A federal worker who believes pay was missed should use the agency’s official payroll and grievance process and preserve duty records. This article is a public-record summary, not employment or legal advice.

The accountability questions

OPM and employing agencies should publish implementation guidance before the first applicable pay period. That guidance should define covered tasks, treatment of mixed-duty shifts, documentation, dispute handling, and any interaction with other differentials. Agencies should also report whether delayed payroll systems create retroactive corrections.

Congress and the public should watch two outcomes. First, do eligible crews actually receive the pay on time? Second, does the change improve recruitment, retention, and safe prescribed-fire capacity without creating avoidable administrative disputes? Those outcomes were not established by publishing the rule.

Prescribed fire can reduce dangerous fuel under controlled conditions, but the work is still hazardous for the people holding the line. The rule recognizes that fact in federal pay policy. The next test is whether agencies apply it consistently to the workers performing the covered duties.

Sources and dates

• OPM final rule, published August 14, 2026.
• Government Publishing Office PDF of the final rule, August 14, 2026.
• OPM proposed rule, published April 14, 2026.
• Regulations.gov docket OPM-2026-0199, accessed August 14, 2026.