The Dixie fire could get stronger 1:25
(CNN) -
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with seven governors on Friday to discuss how states are responding to a devastating wildfire season in the West and how the federal government can help.
According to exclusive details shared with CNN, the virtual meeting will last one hour with governors whose states are experiencing wildfires and droughts.
Governors Greg Gianforte from Montana will participate;
Jay Inslee from Washington;
Gavin Newsom from California;
Brad Little from Idaho;
Kate Brown from Oregon;
Tim Walz from Minnesota;
and Mark Gordon from Wyoming.
Biden and Harris will discuss efforts to strengthen wildfire prevention, preparedness, mitigation and response, and hear how an early and severe wildfire season impacts residents and lands in the states.
There are already more than 85 forest fires in the US 1:38
The group is also expected to discuss funding and investment in wildland firefighters, including increasing the salaries of federal firefighters fighting fires and expanding the hiring of temporary firefighters.
In June, Biden signed an executive order that raised the minimum wage for federal firefighters to $ 15 an hour.
Biden launches two task forces for the fires
This Friday, the White House will also announce two new interagency task forces that will work on the impact of wildfires and extreme heat.
The Biden National Climate Task Force, which is chaired by National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy, will announce an Interagency Wildfire Resilience Task Force and an Interagency Extreme Heat Task Force.
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Over 85 wildfires burn across America as firefighters work tirelessly
The Interagency Group on Wildland Fire Resilience will be chaired by Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, while the Interagency Task Force on Extreme Heat will be chaired by Secretary of Health. and Human Services, Xavier Becerra;
the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr. Richard Spinrad;
and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan.
There are 82 major fires in the west this week.
Around 1.37 million hectares have been burned in forest fires so far this year.
After touring the destruction caused by the Tamarack fire, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak and Newsom on Wednesday called for more federal resources.
How climate change affects disadvantaged communities 3:16
"We need help from the federal side, more people come. We need more resources, more air support. And we need more people and more boots on the ground so that this fight is fairer in terms of fighting these fires," Sisolak said.
The Tamarack Fire has charred more than 27,500 acres in California and Nevada, south of Lake Tahoe, since it ignited on July 4.
Almost 30 structures, including houses, have been destroyed or damaged, and at least one firefighter suffered first- and second-degree burns while fighting the fire.
Criticism for the salaries of those who fight the fires
Calling the pay of federal forest workers "deplorable," Newsom said Wednesday that the US Forest Service needs more resources.
"At the end of the day, the US Forest Service is understaffed and under-resourced, and it has been that way for years and years and years," he said.
CNN reported in June that federal experts were leaving the service primarily due to low salaries.
First-year federal experts earn $ 13.50 an hour, according to David Alicea, vice president of the California Forest Services Union.
"Yes, you can work overtime, but we are squeezing it," Alicea told CNN.
"We are abusing them because we are understaffed and they do not have their rest periods. They are fired when the fire season ends and they choose not to return," he explained.
Two brothers do not want to leave their home despite fire 2:21
The president held a similar meeting with governors in late June when an unprecedented heat wave prepared the Northwest for extreme wildfires.
"Climate change is driving the dangerous confluence of extreme heat and prolonged drought. We are seeing higher intensity wildfires that move faster and last well beyond the traditional months, traditional months of the fire season," said Biden. in June.
CNN's Paul Vercammen contributed to this report.
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