On the Fire Lines, a Shift to Private Contractors Faced by a series of intense fire seasons and demands on firefighters nationwide, officials are increasingly working within a de facto public-private partnership. “The public always assumed that there was some private presence, but I don’t think they know that we cut line right next to hot-shot crews,” said Jess Wills, the operations manager at Firestorm Wildland Fire Suppression, a for-profit company in Chico, Calif. “We’re out there firefighting right next to them.” The federal government has long used private contractors for support, including the providing of showers, tents, catering, bulldozers and water trucks. Aviation, in particular, has been an area in which federal officials have depended on the private sector, arguing that because of the seasonal nature of fires it is better to contract work out than to pay for year-round staffing. But the increase in ground crews, and the lengthier fire season, has left some firefighter advocates wondering if taxpayer money would be better spent improving federal resources....