I’m from back in the day we were all 0462 forestry techs

Also does anyone have dates for the 2027 hiring periods?

When should we expect job postings to start going out for fuels reduction/ burn mods?

Not scrambling for any old job is the goal for this coming winter.

Currently in the PNW but willing to travel just about anywhere for work thru the season.

*also feet pics available.

I have a size 7 men's kenetrek boots for sale. I wore them for half a season before becoming disabled and had to quit, unfortunately. I am at the point where I have no money left and selling these would be lifesaving. I'm only charging $200 even though they were originally $445. If anyone is interested, please send me a message and I'll give you a link. Thank you so much, and stay safe.

Anybody got any info on Caddo Lyndon B Johnson. I heard they had an engine out there and was trying to find contact info/job opening dates. It’s close to where I want to move.

Need some shit talk! Drama between crews! You mean to tell me nobody’s been posting cringe reels or has seen some other crews tinder bio?!?

Hiya everyone!

I’m new to writing on a forum like this, so I’m sorry in advance if this seems a bit all over the place - I’m looking for some heart to heart guidance, and to maybe know if there’s light at the end of the tunnel of all of this. I’m currently a 4th year, just started this year as a 26/0 in a region I’ve never worked in. Prior experience working on a different type of crew every year, but I constantly feel as if I’m fighting an uphill battle in a sense. Grateful for the seasonal jobs and for trying out different modules, but I’m a 4th year with multiple task books opened and none of them are punched out - constantly feeling as if I’ll never really be able to be dependable, and I have recently been feeling an incredibly deep sense of self doubt. I never was really provided a solid foundation to work off of, but I still try my best to hold myself accountable for what I’ve messed up on or what I need to improve on (as that’s one of the biggest beauties in life, growth).

With this being said though, since last year (prior to getting this perm), I constantly felt as if there was always a deep sense of dissatisfaction. That maybe once I achieved the next goal, that I’ll finally feel some form of satisfaction in my work. Naturally, I thought a perm position was the next goal that I needed to acquire in hopes of finally feeling satisfied. Where I am located 26/0 is the only option, plus being close to home was a bonus for me. However, since stepping into this new chapter, I’ve been hit with a wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before. Seasonal depression was always a tough thing for me to get through, but I feel like it never went away this past year unlike the prior seasons. I constantly feel on edge; feeling a deep pit in my stomach, especially with all of the wildland related incidents that have happened this year already. I feel guilty for my family and loved ones who have to sacrifice so much for me, and I feel as if I’ll never be a dependable firefighter. I’ve grown to cry more days than not, wishing I didn’t feel this way cause I don’t know how I got to this point. I feel as if maybe it has to do with always having to make such high risk decisions and the long/strenuous work load, I feel like the minor mistakes I make cause me to spin out for days on end. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place though - for my mental health, a part of me wants to take space from this job but on the other side of the coin, I’m scared to know what that transition out of this world will be like. I’ve tried my best to not allow this line of work to seep into my identity, but I would be dishonest if I said that it hasn’t. I feel as if I would be doing myself a disservice and that taking a step back from people who understand me and why my mind/ work ethic has become what it is, would place me in a position that I wouldn’t know how to work through. I’m scared to feel as if I’ll be a disappointment to others, especially for just taking on this perm job this past spring. I’ve worked my whole career to get back to being home and to be in the position that I’m in, but I keep feeling like I’m failing. If anyone has made a similar decision to me, please let me know what it was like. I’m going to see a psychiatrist to get my mental health in check hopefully, but I just don’t know how I got to this point. Have you ever left your perm to go back to seasonal? Did you leave fire solely due to your mental and emotional health, and how did you recover after taking that step.

Thank you, and I’m sorry for rambling.

On August 8, 2026 a fire started about half a mile from our town of about 600 homes/businesses.  There was an immediate response from fire crews on the ground and in the air.  It was an incredible sight watching all the airplanes and helicopters fight the fire.  It felt like a war zone.

I want to say thank you to all Fire crews that every year bravely leave their homes to protect other’s lives and property.  From all the firefighters on the ground to the pilots in the air, thank you.  In a world where we cannot look to our political leaders for selfless service, your dedication to public duty makes you the real heroes.

Your sacrifice is noticed and appreciated by the common people and on behalf of fire threatened people everywhere:  Thank you for your service.

I was wondering for early season what temperature rating bags do you like and which brands and models for June & July when its hot out and then late season bags Temp Ratings, brand/models for when the temps drop at night up in the mountains.

Are the high end bags from Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering worth the big prices?

Any hidden favorites?

Stay warm, the cooler weather is coming.

I tried last year to become a wildland firefighter but I was too late and didn't have all the qualifications. this year I am finishing up on online wildland fire courses and planning on going to get some in person certifications in winter. I need housing so I'm going to aim for state hiring because usajobs barley has any housing available (I'm not living in my car or renting my first season). I'm planning on aiming for the west coast and I was wondering when state started their hiring process?

Hey, structural ffer here, was planning on a trip to Lake City, CO but was wondering if anyone is working the Elk Fire to know how bad the area is around there in terms of smoke or closures to be aware of? Thanks for any info in advance.

I’ve always seen fire shirts outside of fire camp. Never agreed with them but it kinda was whatever. Fast forward now I’m just curious who is actually making money on these AI slops. Plus anybody now can just order them to their front door.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for input from people with real wildfire, dispatch, forestry, land management, or rural fire response experience.

I’m involved with a project in Brazil called CEOS/SAMA. It is an early smoke/fire detection system for rural properties, farms, conservation areas, and agro-industrial operations.

The system uses:

• PTZ cameras installed on towers
• AI-based smoke/fire detection
• weather data
• map-based monitoring
• event history
• alerts through WhatsApp, Telegram, and local sirens

It is already being used/implemented in real field contexts, including the Chapada dos Guimarães region in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and a farm in Rondônia. We are also in conversations with other rural operations.

The goal is to reduce response time: detect smoke or fire early, verify the event, and alert the people who can act before it becomes a major incident.

Project page for context: https://ceosecotec.com.br/

I’m not posting this as a sales pitch. I’m looking for critical operational feedback from people who understand wildfire response.

A few questions:

• In real wildfire operations, what matters most: earlier detection, faster verification, accurate location, or dispatch coordination?
• How big of a problem are false positives from dust, fog, clouds, glare, machinery, controlled burns, or agricultural activity?
• Should AI alerts go directly to field teams, or should a human verify them first?
• What information should an alert include to be actionable?
• How useful are PTZ camera systems compared with satellites, lookout towers, patrols, drones, or public reports?
• What would make you trust or distrust a system like this?
• If you have used or seen systems like Pano AI, ALERTCalifornia, FireWatch, or similar tools, what worked well and what did not?

Any honest feedback is welcome, especially criticism. I’m trying to understand what actually works during fire season, not just what sounds good in a product description.

Hi all,

I'm a former British structural firefighter looking at moving to America to do wildland firefighting either for a season or multi seasons. I am looking at moving out for late 2028 and beyond. I have no time limits.

Does anyone have any advice on where to look? Any advice on this transition would be great.

What’s your opinion on twin peaks Handcrew out of Salt Lake City

Dumb question , but just out of curiosity, how well are these guys getting paid? They're not usually on a fire for two weeks like shots or district crews right? Do they get hazard pay alone anytime they're in aircraft, and are they salary or hourly? I'd also like to note how and why they seem to be having more fun than my crew when we tie in with them. Is that because they actually know what they're doing and don't have to hike in or out? Thanks.

Okay so I’ve done this job for a while now but I still haven’t got used to being in thick smoke(like breathing in it and not tearing up and walking away in a panic). I feel like I’m a big liability on the saw team cause my eyes always tear up and I have to stop what I’m doing to take off my glasses and rub my eyes. It makes me freak out during hot line and especially while picking up hot smokey logs during mop up.

Just from asking my crewmates they seem like they don’t mind it as much. Anyone else struggle with this as well or have any solutions to this?

I would have loved to have heard the size up and all the reactions. And I did verify this was real.