r/Wildfire • u/mittenborn • 2d ago

Bear Gulch immigration raid

Hey r/Wildfire — I'm a Seattle-based reporter working on a story about the immigration raid at the Bear Gulch Fire. Hoping to get more info from anyone who's been out there or has an account of what happened. Also looking for insight about the larger implications of immigration enforcement at active wildfires. I can talk off the record or on background with anyone who's willing to share. Please PM me if you'd like to connect. Thanks!

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172

u/elsordo69 2d ago

If any feds are thinking about speaking to the press, please consider reaching out to your union first. They can help you navigate the process to keep your job safe.

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u/mittenborn 2d ago

Yes, please take whatever steps you need to to protect your job. Again, I can connect anonymously if that enables anyone to speak more freely.

43

u/NoSuddenMoves 2d ago

Fire is a small world and any info at all could be used to identify a source.

If you were Naomi ishitaka with seatle times rather than anonymous reddit reporter I would have more faith in people speaking with you.

I would recommend calling the pio of the fire and going through official channels. I assure you that 99% of fire personnel are on the side of the crew members.

21

u/mittenborn 2d ago

Totally understand your concern. In the comments below, I included by bio, story archive and a recent story in which I interviewed wildfire personnel while protecting their identities. I have reached out to the Bear Gulch PIO and all the relevant agencies and orgs, but no one is disclosing much.

1

u/ProlapseMishap 1h ago

Yeah, I would trust the PAOs about as much as I'd trust the LEOs.