MADERA COUNTY, CA – The United States Forest Service (USFS) is now recruiting Wildland Firefighters and Support Personnel for temporary, seasonal positions — a great opportunity for motivated candidates who want to serve their communities, work outdoors, and build a career in wildland fire management. The application window opens December 31, 2025, and closes January 14, 2026. The earliest start date for new hires is June 28, 2026.
These roles are physically demanding, team-oriented, and rewarding. Wildland firefighters work in rugged terrain, often away from home for extended periods, performing fuel reduction, fire suppression, and prevention activities. Support positions include logistics, equipment maintenance, communications, and administrative roles that keep firefighting operations effective and safe. Temporary seasonal work is an excellent entry point into a long-term public lands career — many seasonal employees later move into permanent positions with additional training and experience.
If you’re considering applying, prepare now: ensure you meet basic hiring requirements, maintain good physical fitness, and be ready for medical and fitness evaluations (such as the Pack Test commonly required for firefighting roles). Familiarize yourself with USAJOBS and the USFS hiring pages where application details and job announcements will be posted.
Yosemite Adult School can help you enter or advance in the wildland fire career pathway. They offer coursework and certification preparation geared toward those pursuing firefighting and support careers. For more information about classes, prerequisites, or how training can strengthen your application, contact Yosemite Adult School at adultschool@yosemiteusd.org.
Whether you’re seeking seasonal work, an adventurous career change, or a pathway to public-service employment, now is the time to prepare and apply. Mark your calendar for the December 31 start of the application period, assemble your documentation, and take advantage of local training resources to increase your chances of success.
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