Trial by fire: Forest Service to hire 250 wildland firefighters

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — The Rocky Mountain region has seen its fair share of wildfires this year. Recognizing the danger the fires pose, the USDA Forest Service seeks to address the threat by bringing on 250 permanent seasonal wildland firefighters.

The newly hired firefighters will see themselves spread out across national forests and grasslands located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

The positions being hired for include:

• Engine operators
• Hotshot crew members
• Hand crew members
• Helitack crew members
• Airtanker technicians
• Airtanker base managers
• Fuels technicians
• Fire prevention specialists
• Assistant fire management officers
• Dispatchers
• Essential fire management positions

The jobs will open for 33 days beginning on Aug. 23 and ending on Sept. 24.

Details and information about the positions will be available on the USA Job Listing website.

The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of land. The area it covers in the Rocky Mountain region consists of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. The region also houses 17 national forests and seven national grasslands.

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