U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday pay raises and bonuses for federal firefighters during a meeting with Western state governors, who may face a record number of forest blazes this year due to drought and high temperatures.

The U.S. government employs some 15,000 firefighters to battle wildfires on federal land, including thousands of seasonal workers who start at roughly $13 an hour and rely on overtime and hazard pay to make ends meet.

Biden called the salary "unacceptable," and said his administration is working to ensure that no federal firefighter will make less than $15 an hour. The president said he will also extend the seasonal hiring of firefighters.

"We're seeing wildfires of greater intensity that move with more speed and last well beyond traditional months," he stated. "Investing in prevention and preparation today can deliver invaluable returns tomorrow."

The recent heat and high temperatures have been attributed to a dome of atmospheric high pressure over the upper U.S. Northwest and Canada, similar to conditions that punished California and southwestern states earlier this month.

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