Wildland Firefighter (Fuels Management)

Forest Service • Fredonia, AZ

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This temporary position is located on a fire crew within a National Forest fire management organization. The employee serves as a skilled member of a fuels management crew, carrying out fuels management work and, when assigned, wildfire suppression or fire prevention duties. The position is expected to start between April 18, 2027, and June 13, 2027, and may last up to six months or up to one year under a not-to-exceed appointment. The appointment may end early because of lack of work or funds, and an extension may be possible without further competition.

The work includes collecting and compiling resource data for fuels planning, treatment, and reporting; implementing fuel treatment and hazard reduction plans; coordinating treatments with other functions and timber-sale or contracting personnel; and conducting prescribed burns on less complex projects within the employee’s qualifications. Work may involve broadcast burning, hand or machine piling, helitorch, and other brush-disposal techniques. The employee gathers and records information on fuels, weather, fire behavior, and work completed, and uses hand and power tools such as chainsaws, firing equipment, and portable pumps.

The position is not eligible for telework. It may involve remote and unpredictable locations, occasional overnight travel for fire assignments, and arduous wildland firefighting duties. The employee must pass and maintain the arduous-level Work Capacity Test and meet applicable medical standards. This is a temporary federal appointment and a testing-designated position subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship or U.S. national status.
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements, if applicable.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Pass a background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Have prior wildland firefighting experience.
• Meet the GW-05 qualification requirement through one year of specialized experience equivalent to GW-04, a qualifying four-year degree in Fire Science, Fire Training, Fire Technology, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Pass and maintain the arduous-level Work Capacity Test: complete a three-mile hike within 45 minutes while carrying a 45-pound pack.
• Meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous-duty firefighting and undergo medical screening.
• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
• Submit to pre-employment and random drug testing; appointment requires a negative pre-employment test result.
• Be willing to live and work in remote, volatile, or unpredictable locations and travel overnight occasionally for fire suppression or related assignments.
• Meet any additional conditions that may apply to particular fire positions, such as a state driver’s license, CDL, or additional physical or medical examination.

Responsibilities

• Collect and compile resource data for long- and medium-range planning, fuels treatment, and program reporting.
• Execute fuel treatment plans, slash hazard appraisals, and hazard reduction plans for slash-producing projects or contracts.
• Record fuel treatment activities for required reports and final project completion.
• Work with timber sales and the Contracting Officer’s Representative to lay out fuel breaks, fuel-reduction corridors, piling areas, and other treatments.
• Conduct pre-attack planning and provide input for annual fuel-treatment priorities based on budget and weather constraints.
• Maintain fuel-management inventories and update records as conditions change.
• Coordinate fuel-treatment plans and activities with other functions to use workforce resources efficiently and meet program objectives.
• Carry out prescribed-burning plans for less complex projects and fuel types, and supervise burns as qualified.
• Locate areas for commercial and free-use fuelwood removal based on availability, accessibility, and consistency with the fuels-management program.
• Perform fuels-management work independently or as a skilled crew member, including broadcast burning, hand and machine piling, helitorch, and other brush-disposal techniques.
• Use hand and power tools, including chainsaws, firing equipment, and portable pumps.
• Gather and record information on fuel types, weather conditions, fire behavior, and work completed.
• Work independently or as a member of a skilled crew in wildfire suppression or fire prevention as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits are available to eligible employees; eligibility depends on position type and whether employment is full-time, part-time, or intermittent.
• Government housing and federal day-care facilities may be available depending on location.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level