A busy wildfire season has taken a toll on firefighters stretched by crew shortages. David Schechter went to Oregon, where a special camp is trying to fill the shortfall.

Burns

A small group of interns in Burns, Oregon, are participating in the region's first wildland firefighting internship program. The initiative comes as the number of available firefighters declines, partly due to recent retirements and job cuts in the U.S. Forest Service.

The program, led by Aaron Johnston, seeks to attract more young people to the profession by providing training and exposure to firefighting careers. Efforts are also underway at the federal level, with legislation introduced to create more opportunities for teens and young adults to join the fire service. Participants like Rafe, a recent high school graduate, are motivated by personal experiences with wildfires and a desire to help protect their communities.

In Oregon, firefighter interns train amid shortage

I'm going to work." Until his senior year of high school, 17-year-old Junior Rafe didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life. But now that the recent graduate finally does know, he can't wait to get his day started and train to fight forest fires. Rafe is part of Burns Oregon's first-ever small class of wildland firefighting interns. What are we preventing here? So what we're doing is fuel reduction. So let's say a spark did spark up maybe right here, it wouldn't run up this hill and burn down all of these houses here. As climate change drives more destructive fires, there are fewer people than ever to fight them. This year, the Trump administration fired or gave early retirement to at least 5,000 U.S. Forest Service employees. In Oregon, they're asking, where will the next generation of firefighters come from? What we're trying to do is build a pipeline. Aaron Johnston runs the internship program and says there are plenty of job opportunities for firefighters, but there's not enough interest. What's the root problem there with the youth? With the youth? Yeah. We're not seeing the youth join this industry, right? What we're seeing is a lot of our senior staff, eventually a lot of these folks are gonna retire. And the reality is we need youth. Rafe first began considering a career in firefighting after nearly 150,000 acre fire obliterated one of his family's favorite campsites. And then when he took a wildland firefighting class in high school, it all just kind of clicked. So you think it's just the exposure that people got? I think that's what it is. I definitely don't think anyone thought they were gonna graduate high school and fight fire for the rest of their life, but I have quite a bit of friends that that's their goal. My goal is to become a smokejumper. I got something for adrenaline. I want to jump out of planes into fire and then fight them. In Washington DC, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced legislation to rebuild the fire service, creating training and hiring opportunities for 300 teens and young adults every year. So you have this longer season, drier forest. It's scary as hell, but we have to do everything we can. So programs like this are going to help. What do you want to be a part of? I want to be a part of saving forests and preventing the fires. For Rafe, the harder he works, the more he sees he can build his own future, help rebuild the thinning ranks of wildland firefighters, and help protect the places that he loves. David Schechter, CBS News, Burns, Oregon.

The FBI searched former national security adviser John Bolton's house in Bethesda, Maryland, early Friday morning, the bureau confirmed to CBS News.

Washington

FBI raids former Trump adviser John Bolton's home, D.C. office

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Nashville

Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from jail in Tennessee

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Pembroke

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The FBI raided former Trump national security adviser John Bolton's house in Bethesda, Maryland, CBS News has confirmed. Jake Rosen has more.

Bethesda

FBI raids John Bolton's home, office

Attorneys general in 14 states and Washington, D.C., accuse TikTok of designing its app to keep users hooked. Court-released edited video shows some company staff discussing the toll it can take on children and teens.

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Los Angeles

Erik Menendez denied parole after California hearing

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia launches largest strike in weeks on Ukraine

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

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California

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New York

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Global Tariffs

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Jerusalem

Israel says it began Gaza City expansion

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Austin

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Moscow

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Texas

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Brussels

NATO chiefs meet virtually about potential Ukraine security guarantees

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North Carolina

Hurricane Erin forces evacuations on U.S. East Coast

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met China’s top diplomat on Tuesday and hailed the “steady progress” made in improving the bilateral relationship after a yearslong standoff between the nuclear-armed Asian powers.

New Delhi

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Toronto

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Exiled former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui hailed Australia's grant of asylum status as a key acknowledgement of the territory's human rights infringements since its authorities quelled massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Hong Kong Island

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East Coast of the United States

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European leaders who converged on the White House for talks on the Russia-Ukraine war demonstrated a united front regarding Ukraine's security on Monday, underscoring the issue as pivotal for the entire continent, not just Ukraine.

Breakdown