A House Democrat is demanding answers from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins regarding discrepancies in wildland firefighter staffing numbers. Representative Robert Garcia claims the Forest Service's public statements about reaching 99% of its hiring goal are misleading. ProPublica's investigation revealed thousands of vacancies existed as wildfire season intensified. Garcia alleges Trump administration staffing decisions have weakened the Forest Service's capacity. The Forest Service disputes ProPublica's vacancy figures, citing outdated data. However, ProPublica states its analysis excluded unfunded positions and used active agency charts. Experts suggest the agency historically resists transparent staffing breakdowns. The Forest Service's hiring goal metric is criticized for not distinguishing between new and experienced firefighters and excluding essential support staff. Internal data indicates many qualified staff left the government, a number the Forest Service contests. The agency is now attempting to rehire former employees for critical firefighting roles. Garcia has requested a full accounting of staffing changes and resources at the Forest Service.