Federal agents detained two firefighters at Bear Gulch wildfire

Federal agents detained two firefighters on Wednesday during an operation at the Bear Gulch wildfire on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, prompting alarm from state officials and firefighters who said the action took place while crews were actively fighting the blaze near Lake Cushman. The two were seized after federal officers, some wearing vests labeled police, converged on private contractor crews and asked for identification, witnesses said.

Firefighters who spoke on condition of anonymity said the officers arrived around 9:30 a.m., prevented several crew members from leaving, and conducted identification checks that lasted more than three hours. One firefighter recounted, You risked your life out here to save the community. This is how they treat us. Another said the detained crew members were not allowed to say goodbye, and described being told not to record the interaction. A vehicle marked as belonging to Customs and Border Protection was seen nearby, witnesses said. The reason for the arrests was not immediately clear.

An incident management team spokesperson overseeing the firefighting effort said the team was aware of a Border Patrol operation at the fire and that...