Vermont Fire Chiefs Face New Wildfire Role | Montpelier News

Vermont’s new law, Act 162, automatically makes every fire chief a forest fire warden—aiming to leverage local expertise to combat rising wildfire threats, with 63 fires this year alone. But for volunteer chiefs like Simon Bradford, it’s an overwhelming burden, not a choice. Already stretched thin managing departments and running businesses, some are resisting—Bradford even started a petition and stopped issuing burn permits, citing lack of time to assess conditions. The state agency says it won’t issue permits, leaving a dangerous gap. While officials remain open to feedback, towns are adapting by appointing deputies, and the future of this law is still unfolding. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/26d7240d68fa0a0d