(Kamiah, ID) The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests have a variety of temporary-seasonal wildland firefighting positions open across the Forests! We are looking for folks interested in positions on handcrews, engine crews, helicopter crews, wildland fire use modules, smokejumper crews, and even fire lookouts. Duty locations are spread throughout the forests’ four million acres, including White Bird, Elk City, Grangeville, Kooskia, Orofino, and Potlatch.
Wildland firefighters perform a variety of tasks to prevent the spread of wildfire and protect forest communities: utilizing aircraft to drop water on an incident, running chainsaws and other mechanical equipment to reduce susceptible fuels to a flaming front, running hoses from engines to get water closer to a fire, and constructing line with various hand tools are just some of the ways wildland firefighters tackle their daunting jobs. The diversity in crew types provide versatility to our mission of caring for the lands and serving the people.
Fire lookouts are a critical support component during wildfire incidents. These positions are eyes and ears for firefighting resources: lookouts are often the first people to see smoke from a wildfire and first to call the fire into dispatch centers. From here, dispatchers alert a near-by wildland fire crew. The quick and efficient response time from lookouts plays a tremendous role in preventing wildfires from becoming increased in size and complexity. Additionally, fire lookouts have a huge responsibility in providing for the safety and well-being of wildland firefighters by making sure they are giving accurate and timely information that will help them in their decision-making process during a wildfire.
The application portal opens in two days on October 24, 2024, and will be closing on November 6, 2024. After this date has passed, you will not have another opportunity to apply for a wildland firefighter position with the U.S. Forest Service for the 2025 season. To apply, go on to USAJobs.gov and search the announcement number of the position you are interested in.
If you would like to get in contact with someone for more information about positions, please reach out to the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest Fire Information Line (208-935-6134). We are happy to help answer any questions that you may have about the job or how to apply.