When the fire starts, you want the firefighters to be ready. That was Eric Yost's job.
"Getting like the rental vehicles going and picking up signs or whatever needs to be done out in the field... going and purchasing supplies and support items for the firefighters," Yost says, going through his long mental list of job expectations. "If they need something, you know, figure it out and go do it."
As a support services specialist with Tonto National Forest since 2023, Yost was essentially the "gofer" for federal wildland firefighters.
"We do a lot with very little, but you know, we're great at it," the Glendale man said.
Yost's last day on the job was Tuesday, a quick goodbye after he was notified over Valentine's Day weekend that he'd been let go. He was one of 3,400 National Forest Service employees nationwide to be laid off under new efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
In the first month of President Donald Trump's administration, more than 200,000 federal workers at more than a dozen agencies have been let go. Those layoffs are part of a major effort by the White House and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to trim the federal workforce and eliminate what they consider to be wasteful spending.
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The layoffs also include 1,000 employees with the National Park Service, including an unknown number at Grand Canyon National Park. Yost's bureau in Tonto National Forest had a smaller number of layoffs, but he said other bureaus with the National Forest Service in Arizona had dozens of staff cut.
When Yost was let go via a letter, his performance was listed as the reason for the layoff. But Yost showed us his performance review from last month, which did not show any areas where he did not meet or exceed expectations. He also got a promotion in January.
The layoff hit Yost especially hard, as he's been the sole provider for his wife Sara and their two daughters after Sara lost her job because her arm became paralyzed.
"I can't even boil mac and cheese without him helping," Sara said, her right arm still in a sling.
Yost's departure also comes as Arizona experiences what might become the driest winter on record, potentially leading to a dangerous fire season.
"It'll definitely affect support," Yost said about the firefighting layoffs in Arizona. "It's definitely gonna make things more, you know, not as efficient."
In the meantime, Sara and Eric are trying to shield their 10- and 7-year-old daughters from the struggles they're facing.
"My oldest has really gone out of the way," Sara said. "She's like, 'I know I just earned like 50 bucks for getting good grades from one of our relatives.' She's like, 'do you need it, Mom and Dad?'"
"Things happen," Eric added. "So you just have to, you know, keep plugging, keep plugging along."
Eric plans to appeal his layoff, though it's unclear how much effect it will have.
