Nevada’s Firefighters Work for Free!

State Auditors Discover Millions Left on the Table

Upon finding themselves overcharged by so much as a penny, there is a particular breed that will summon forth all the righteous indignation of a tax collector on Judgment Day. And then, there are the fine stewards of Nevada’s Division of Forestry, who, according to a recent audit, spent four years sending men, equipment, and good hard labor to other states to battle wildfires—to the tune of $32.7 million—without so much as asking for a dime in return.

One might call this an act of charity. One might also call it, as the auditors politely put it, “a lack of proper oversight.” Others, less restrained, might refer to it as losing one’s financial senses altogether. Whatever the case, the Division, armed with a budget of a mere $4.5 million, has repeatedly gone cap in hand to lawmakers, requesting tens of millions of dollars to keep its operations afloat, all while forgetting that other states owed them enough to build a gold-plated fire engine.

This fascinating fiscal misadventure came to light when the Division sought another $15 million in 2023, causing legislators to clutch their ledgers in horror and order an audit. The findings, delivered in January, revealed that the agency’s billing department had the stability of a wagon with three wheels, suffering high turnover and bewildering bookkeeping.

Indeed, for years, the Division operated a billing system so antiquated that invoices got counted by the pound rather than the number. When they finally switched to a computerized system in 2023, they found it wouldn’t issue invoices until October of 2024—a notable feature for any accounting program designed to encourage deep breathing and meditation but a poor one for those who expect payment.

Legislators, ever the sentinels of fiscal responsibility, were not amused.

“Somebody needs to make a list and check it twice and pay the darn bills so that we get money in this darn state,” said Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop of Las Vegas, demonstrating a degree of exasperation that suggests she may soon take to handling the invoices personally.

Efforts are now underway to rectify the matter. A new system is in place, with invoices flying out like embers from a windblown wildfire, and at least a small portion of the lost millions has already recovered.

One hopes that this newfound enthusiasm for billing continues. Yet, the fundamental absurdity remains–for four long years, Nevada’s fire crews were out in the field, braving heat and flames, while the bureaucrats back home failed to remember to pass the hat.

Otherwise, it seems likely that the state’s firefighters will continue their unintentional career as the West’s most generous volunteers—heroes to the forests, saviors of the towns, and Nevada’s most enthusiastic philanthropists.