[Beyond Borders]

Has anyone ever fought fires through the summer or doing it seasonally now? Or maybe we've got some year-rounders on here?

It can be a great way to stack some extra cash over the summer season if you've got nothing else going. A lot of guys I know just work through the summer and then collect unemployment all winter, some of them doing other work still under the table. You can even stay in the barracks, if you can bear with it, to cut down on living expenses, and you're working a lot so no need to spend much.

Not exactly a ton of poon tang during the season (though you can chase small-town bitches on time off) but to me it always seemed like a good opportunity for a traveler, especially young guys.

You also get a lot of inside knowledge and sometimes special access to awesome hiking trails throughout the backwoods (sometimes in amazingly gorgeous places) if you're into that sort of thing, and some take advantage by doing some exploring in their free time.

Thought about doing it myself - the experience in itself would be pretty sweet - but I've heard getting in without being a veteran can mean a lot of waiting and really be a bitch. Vets get priority. Do you're own research on this before using it as a reason to rule the idea out though.

This year has been the driest season in California on record, which means there will likely be a lot of problems with fires there when the heat hits. Chances are they're taking on a lot of people in anticipation.

In years with lots of fires, you see a lot of overtime and hazard pay and can really stack some bills before you're cut loose at the end. Might be worth some guys looking for something new to check out the application process. I believe the deadline is coming up fast though.

I'm no expert on this stuff so hopefully someone with experience can chime in. I know a lot of guys who've done it though - it's one of only a few opportunities available where I came from out in the sticks. I'm from Northern Cali.

[CaliforniaSupreme]

Cool idea, I'm going to look into this. Also Ca.

[WanderingSoul]

Basically all of my friends did this, one of my best friends still does. He's full time now, but the fjrst five years he was a temp. He'd work 6-8 months, then get the rest off. He'd collect $450 a week unemployment while he was laid off. He'd make good money while working, but he'd work a fuck load and was always gone during the summer. A pretty defer gig for a younger guy looking to make some cash. Unemployment was the real benefit. Can travel quite a lot during your off time.

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

What about the danger? Do firefighters suffer burns (fatal or not) a lot, especially in remote locations where additional equipment might be hard to come by? Any stats floating around? I can't help but recall the recent case in Croatia where 12 firemen were burned to death in an eruptive fire...

[Beyond Borders]

Not sure on the stats, HCE, but I don't think the odds of death or even minor burns are very high. You're probably more likely to sprain an ankle running through the woods - they take safety of the crews very seriously and pull you out if things get sketchy. That said, wildfire is a very volatile thing and ANYTHING can and does happen. And of course if you're on a hotshot crew or something like that the risks go up.

(Again - I'm no expert, so I could be talking completely out of my ass here. I urge anyone interested to do their own research, but I'm sure the risks are covered on all at the websites.)

There was a crew that died in the states this last summer that was all over the news. Pretty sad.

Can't think of a much worse way to go, so there's that too...

As I mentioned, I grew up in fire country, and I've never personally known anyone who was injured or died that way.

By the way, California just declared a state of emergency due to the severity of the droughts - methinks they'll be needing some help this year for sure:

Quote:

Less than two months after devastating floods whipped through California, Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency due to severe water shortages and a serious California drought. To exacerbate the situation, an intense wildfire is raging through the hills and forests above Glendora in Los Angeles.

In addition to the threats than accompany a California drought, meteorologist, Chad Meyers has warned that with 90 percent of the state gripped by the drought, 2014 could also become “a giant fire year.”

http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/california...-flooding/

[Beyond Borders]

Historical Wildland Firefighter Fatality Reports

http://www.nifc.gov/safety/safety_HistFa...eport.html

Illness, Injuries, and Fatalities Among Wildland Firefighters

http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/htmlpubs/h...page08.htm

[Vacancier Permanent]

While firefighting can be a good short term solutions, a better move would be to go into the oil sands. If you are Canadian, you are in great luck as Alberta is where it's at and it's been extensively covered in here with more and more guys making the move. If you are American, then North Dakota and Texas are the obvious locations to start. Getting involved with te oil sands is not only a great short term cash cow but most importantly, an excellent option long term. After a year or two, some experiences and a couple tickets, you'd be golden and can work how much you want, taking time off hen you want and making great money. Plus the skills learned there are very transferable and in demand around the globe.

If you need or want to build a capital, stay in Asia till the spring and when the wether gets better, go to ND till the fall. By then , You will leave you with a sweet amount.

Have you thought about the oil sands BB? No you don't have to break your back at a labour job, there are trades you can get into, even take a short ore-employment course to give you a boost in getting your foot in. Just throwing some thoughts out there man.

[Beyond Borders]

I don't think my hand could handle the cold. I've broken it maybe six times now (twice needing pins), and the last one was a compound facture follow by a botched surgery so it's still all fucked up. I can't make a full fist as it is. I couldn't imagine bringing it to a frozen hellhole like North Dakota. Even before this last break a somewhat chilly morning sometimes would leave it pretty seized up and pinky a bit immobile. Maybe Texas a better idea if I did ever want to go that route.

Oil fields are definitely more money. To me, working out in the woods and in the heat is (I assume) more enjoyable though. When you're not fighting blazes, which is exciting on its own, you're working in the backcountry clearing brush and making trails and shit.

Not for everyone but I used to work in those types of environments doing similar shit when I was younger and I liked it. The job can be boring as fuck in down-time though too.

And a different breed of co-worker.

Anyhow, I wasn't selling this as the ultimate opportunity or compare the two - just throwing out other options for putting some money together, and I was a bit surprised I hadn't seen it on here before.

As an aside, there is a shitload of money to be made for an entrepreneur if you buy a watertruck and get contracted to deliver to fires. There's a waiting list, but the numbers are pretty damn solid, as I recall. As in, good enough that if you were traveling in Asia and called to a fire, it would be worth flying home and firing up your truck.

[Dr. Howard]

I trained wilderness firefighters in Canada and worked along side them in the US. My American job was cushy so I didn't have to actually go out on the fireline but I know the operations, pay and finances.

Canadian firefighting is much different than American, and even in the US it varies between the midwest/southeast and West/Southwest due to techniques, fuel types and terrain (read road availability and water sources)

Danger - moderate, I'd say its the same as working construction. Few people actually get burned and the injuries are breaks, sprains, strains, dehydration. @Borders In Canada your hand would suffer as most of the work is chainsaws, small engine pumps or ice cold water handling in hoses. In America it would be chainsaws, drip torches and shovels unless you got in as a heavy truck driver or dozer operator.

People - Awesome coworkers in the US and Canada. In general I'd say they are stereotypical cowboys, just the kind of people who enjoy fire, chainsaws and helicopters.

Time off - As Rio said, most crews are off in non-fire season and most people just travel. Some of the full time gigs put you on maintenance or helping forestry crews during the off season

Perks - On fire you eat like a king, in America you are doing cafeteria style food brought to the site, In Canada they are flying in steak to you to the middle of the woods. Take it from the bean counter on these jobs, the money flows freely and "we don't have the budget" is never heard.

Qualifications - Fire in the US and Canada each have their own ultra bureaucratic training system, there is no shortcutting it. You start taking your courses and 'level up' like a video game after doing more courses and putting in more hours on fires.

Benefits - its a government job, full benefits AND it qualifies for risk conditions/early retirement in the places I've worked. Want to retire at 55 with a full pension? Gov't Law enforcement, paramedic, urban or WILDERNESS firefighter. Its the lowest stress of all of these but gets the same treatment.

Pay - In America the pay is only ok but you bank a TON of hours when you go on a fire. We didn't have time and a half overtime but when folks put in 60 hours in 3 days they were doing well. Sometimes they got paid out but recently the deal was that they just kept on collecting checks after they were done for the season until their banked hours were used up. In Canada you get paid pretty well $20-25 per hour starting out and hit the 1.5 times mulipliers for overtime.

The real gold mine? - Wildland fire pilot. These guys make 90 grand in 4 months and then are done for the year, and get the benefits and early retirement. They never have to stay in camp, they are at the airbase. Mortality rate in the US seems to be much higher than canada and you can do either helicopter or fixed wing.

[Penis_Maximus]

I was a wildland firefighter in college on an on-call hand crew for the USFS. Training started in March with a lot of PT...mostly running up and down stair and strength training. There was some safety training and basic fire theory, then came one day of practical training (how to use the tools and "cut line.")

Unless you are a smokejumper or part of a hot shot crew (elite wildland firefighters) or heli-shot crew, you will not be dropped in the middle of a fire. Most of your time will be spent hiking around putting out spot fires and mopping up. It is hot, difficult, dirty work. During the day you will experience 100 degree temps, at night you will sleep out. The closest I ever came to freezing to death was during my time as a firefighter. You will get the worst, most unbelievable blisters on your feet. They will looked like chopped steak by the end of the summer. One day, it went from 90 degrees, then it started raining, then thunder, then hail, then 90 degrees again all in half-an hour.

The pay is pretty decent compared to other summer jobs. In 1997, pay was $11. It is probably more now. On-call crews generally don't get benefits; however, while you are on a fire, all your food is comped.

Even though it was a miserable experience at the time, I'm glad I did it. At the very least, you will get some good life experience and some cool stories.