There’s no doubt that being a firefighter is a grueling occupation. These brave individuals risk their lives daily to help those in need when flames threaten both lives and property. However, if we take all the dangers and intensity of urban firefighting and kick them up a few dozen notches, then you’ll have a wildland firefighter. 

These men and women who attack rural infernos head-on are extraordinary people with both mental and physical ruggedness. Care to join their elite ranks? You’ll first need to know what’s expected and what they face regularly on the job. After all the dust settles, you might be thinking to yourself that your nine-to-five is not so bad!

Becoming a Wildland Firefighter

While some people may complain that their office is a bit too cold or are put off by some excessive traffic while commuting to and from work, they have nothing on the regular environments wildfire fighters face. From dense, deep woods forests to vast plains and grasslands, there is no one location that wildfire fighters are assigned to. They go where needed. 

One day, they could be traversing rugged rocks up a steep incline; the other, they are walking mile after mile on dry grassland plains with nothing in view except acres upon acres of dried brush. Unsurprisingly, a person must love the outdoors to tackle this profession. With various environments come various weather conditions, too. Snow-covered rocky mountain peaks could be on your agenda for one day, while sunbaked, over one-hundred degrees dry conditions could come your way another day. 

Rain, thunderstorms, and high winds are also regularly encountered; some are most welcome and help curb the blaze, while others feed the fire and worsen your day. 

Smokejumpers an Wildland Firefighters

There are various levels and jobs within the wildland firefighter’s world. Naturally, most people start at the bottom as a part of a hand crew and eventually move their way up and about into positions such as part of a helicopter crew, a heli-rappeler, or a smoke jumper. These are all dangerous in their own way and definitely take a mentally and physically fit person to tackle on a regular basis. For those not so adventurous, non-in-the-field jobs can be obtained within the wildland umbrella, including office workers and dispatch coordinators. 

Physical Requirements

So you feel you’re in great shape and have no doubt you could do the job of a wildfire fighter. Well, let’s discuss the physical needs you would need to meet. First, you should be in great shape well before you apply to be a wildland firefighter. Being physically fit is a prerequisite for employment and even to be considered. 

During the hiring process, strength and endurance are severely tested because these traits will be employed regularly when you are in the field. Also, hiking and running on uneven surfaces with heavy weights (typically around fifty pounds or more) should be practiced, as they emulate real-life firefighting conditions. As a part of a team tackling a fire, you’ll need to move at a moment’s notice, and if you lag behind, you endanger yourself and your team and allow a fire to spread and possibly destroy property and put lives in danger. 

You definitely don’t want to be the weak link, so constant training of all types is an absolute must. Apart from just gym-style workouts, wilderness and outdoor survival skills are also a plus, as you’ll find yourself deep in the woodlands, and if things go wrong, you may be in danger. Knowing some deep woods skills can help you navigate and survive ever-changing conditions. 

Challenging Personal Life

Work schedule may be one area of a wildland firefighter’s life that may not be at the forefront of their mind when starting their desired profession. It is both strenuous at times, as well as highly unpredictable. Working two weeks straight is not unusual, with daily shifts reaching up to sixteen hours or more. 

This also does not consider travel time to and from the affected areas, which can span days on end. Suppose you’re a nine-to-five, Monday through Friday type of person. In that case, it’s time to look elsewhere for your career as night shifts, weekends, and holidays are the “norm” regularly as a wildland fighter, and even more so when a deadly and destructive fire is on your agenda. 

Although forty hours is a regular week’s length of service, this number can double or triple in the wake of a truly large-scale inferno. Simply put, don’t be married to a special event like a concert, weekend getaway, or even a friend’s wedding because when flames erupt, you’re on duty!

No Down Time

While wildfires don’t happen constantly, plenty of other work must be done in the downtime, which can be equally taxing physically for the firefighter. These projects include tree cutting, which involves heavy chainsaw use and distributing the cut logs into burn piles. 

Prepping areas for controlled burns is also on a firefighter’s to-do list. While back at the station, upkeep of machinery, equipment, and vehicles need to be maintained so there aren’t problems when they are required in an emergency situation, and finally, surveying and patrolling areas with higher than average probability of a fire starting is always part of their consistent routine. 

A Career as a Wildland Firefighter is Waiting

To those outside the firefighting world looking in, wildfire fighting may appear as the ultimate alpha male (or alpha woman) profession. However, even if you have a ripped physique and a fearless demeanor, it takes a lot more than that to reach the level these professionals exhibit daily. 

They risk their lives for others constantly, sacrifice time away from their loved ones for days and even weeks on end, and most of all,  do it without seeking fame, fortune, or constant adulation. These fighters of the flames are a special breed, and only through intense dedication, sweat, and some pain can you join their ranks.