Wildland Firefighters

Climate change and the mismanagement of forests and other wildlands (lack of fire prevention activities, etc.) have greatly increased the number of wildland fires, and experts predict that this trend will not reverse in the near future. An average of nearly 7 million acres of federal land have burned each year since 2000, according to the Congressional Research Service. This is more than double the average number of acres that burned each year in the 1990s. As a result, there is strong demand for wildland firefighters—especially in the American West. Wildland firefighting cannot be outsourced, and unlike other jobs, it is recession proof. There will always be a need for fire prevention activities and firefighting. Even if forests or grassland burn, they can grow back and pose a risk for future fires if they are not managed correctly. Wildland firefighters with extensive experience and training and a willingness to relocate for job opportunities will have the best employment prospects.