This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans' Preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority
This GW-0456-5/6 Wildland Firefighter (Fire Effects and Fuels Monitoring) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service working in various locations.
Not all locations may be hiring for all grades. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.
Summary
This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans' Preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority
This GW-0456-5/6 Wildland Firefighter (Fire Effects and Fuels Monitoring) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service working in various locations.
Not all locations may be hiring for all grades. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Temporary - These are temporary appointments. These positions will not convey permanent status and will be for a period not-to-exceed 1039 hours in a service year.
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen, National, or Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position. Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position.
For general information about the application process and temporary fire positions with the Department of the Interior, please visit our website.
As a Wildland Firefighter - Fire Effects and Fuels Monitoring (GW-05) your duties will include but are not limited to the following:
Serves as a member of a fire effects and fuels monitoring module performing wildland fire suppression, fire effects and fuels monitoring, fuels management, and post-fire activities.
Performs assigned fire suppression activities, including attacking, controlling, and mopping up fires; constructing and patrolling fire lines; suppressing spot fires; conducting firing operations; felling snags or trees; and cutting brush.
Monitors and records fire characteristics, including rate of spread, flame length, fire behavior, and fire effects, and plots fire progression on maps.
Collects and records data on live and dead fuels, fuel moisture, vegetation, and other environmental conditions. Enters fire effects and fuels monitoring data into established databases and information systems.
Identifies local flora, including grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees to species, and distinguishes lower plant orders using established identification methods.
As a Wildland Firefighter - Fire Effects and Fuels Monitoring (GW-06) your duties will include but are not limited to the following:
Serves as an experienced member and assistant field lead on a fire effects and fuels monitoring module, participating in and directing fire suppression, fire effects and fuels monitoring, fuels management, and post-fire activities.
Determines and implements tactical actions for attacking, controlling, and mopping up fires; directs the operation and use of specialized tools and equipment, including power saws, monitoring and firing devices, and communication equipment.
Collects data, documents observations, and prepares reports on observed and potential impacts of fire and suppression activities on resources.
Reviews fire effects and fuels monitoring plans and reports and provides input on prescribed fire and fuels treatment plans, fire management plans, and other resource management plans as assigned.
Trains crew members and others in establishing monitoring sites and collecting fire effects and fuels data across a variety of fuel and vegetation conditions.
Duty locations for these positions are:
Denali Park, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fort Defiance, Arizona (Indian Preference Applies)
Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
Direct Deposit Required.
Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian Preference for Employment (if claiming Indian Preference).
You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.
You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
This position may require the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee may need to hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.
Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit sss.gov.
You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
Subject to frequent extended particularly during fire season, and you may need to obtain a government charge card for travel.
You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.
Only experience and education obtained by 11/04/2026 will be considered.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
Minimum Qualifications:
To qualify for a GW-05, you must meet at least one of the following:
1). One (1) year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GW/GS-04 level duties. Examples of specialized work experience include: Experience as a member of a crew performing fire effects monitoring, wildfire, fuels, prescribed fire, and/or post-fire operations, collecting vegetation, fuels, weather, fire behavior, or ecological data in any related job field; collecting data to assess burn severity or fire effects after prescribed fire or wildfire. -OR-
2). Successful completion of a 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university with major study in Fire Science, Fire Training, Fire Technology or other related fields of study. -OR-
3). A combination of education and specialized work experience described above.
To qualify for a GW-06, you must meet at least one of the following:
1). One (1) year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GW/GS-05 level duties. Examples of specialized work experience include: Experience as a member of a fire monitoring or wildland fire crew. The applicant must possess experience in any field that demonstrates the ability to lead or assist in leading others; executing fire management activities in fire suppression, fuels management, fire effects and fuels monitoring, and post-fire such as measuring and documenting vegetation and fuels information; identifying plant species; collecting and reporting fire behavior and weather data; performing wildfire, fuels, prescribed fire, and/or post-fire operations.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Physical Demands: This position requires arduous exertion for protracted periods of time such as, but not limited to, extensive running, walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, pulling hoses, jumping and twisting, prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity.
Work Environment: This position works in forest, range, and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. Employee must adjust and cope with exposure to weather elements, dust and smoke, poor bivouac and eating situations under an unpredictable set of circumstances. Firefighters may be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of time. The hazardous nature of the work requires that personal protective equipment be worn (e.g., boots, hard hat, gloves, flame resistant clothing). Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft.
Education
PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
Additional information
INDIAN PREFERENCE: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (25 USC 5116 (reclassified from 472)). Verification Form BIA 4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
For this announcement, Indian Preference (IP) will be applied to candidates that are interested in applying for positions in the following locations ONLY:
Fort Defiance, Arizona
These appointments are temporary and do not confer permanent status. They are limited to no more than 1,039 hours during a service year. Pending future approval, an appointment may be extended to a maximum of 1,386 hours without further competition, subject to the Agency's authority. No extension is currently authorized, and any future extension is contingent on additional authority and therefore not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification.
Cost of Living Allowance: In addition to the base salary, this position is entitled to a 3.0% cost-of-living allowance for Denali, AK or a 1.49% cost of living allowance for Fairbanks, AK. This allowance is subject to annual review, adjustment, and gradual decrease.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of the agency notice, most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine if you are minimally qualified for the position. If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All minimally qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. Please note that the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.
The competencies below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered:
Fire Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.
Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
Leadership: Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts
leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the
individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You must submit a complete application package. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/04/2026.
Resume which includes a list of all positions held, detailed descriptions of duties performed, dates of employment in month/year to month/year format, and a work schedule (number of hours worked per week) for each position. One year of experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week (full-time). Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for a position listed that does not indicate hours per week.
Complete Assessments Questionnaire.
Transcripts, if qualifying based on education. For more information, see the Education section.
BIA Form 4432: Verification of Indian Preference (if claiming preference). Note, this is the only form accepted for verification. Failure to supply documentation will result in ineligibility of preference.
Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP): If you are applying under I/CTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements).
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
You must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/04/2026. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
The application process is as follows:
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Apply".
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated. Many similar positions are advertised by various offices. You MUST apply to each announcement for consideration. Officials may hire at any grade level, location or work schedule. All positions may or may not be filled. Dates and length of employment will vary between sites depending on funding and weather conditions.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must submit a complete application package. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/04/2026.
Resume which includes a list of all positions held, detailed descriptions of duties performed, dates of employment in month/year to month/year format, and a work schedule (number of hours worked per week) for each position. One year of experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week (full-time). Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for a position listed that does not indicate hours per week.
Complete Assessments Questionnaire.
Transcripts, if qualifying based on education. For more information, see the Education section.
BIA Form 4432: Verification of Indian Preference (if claiming preference). Note, this is the only form accepted for verification. Failure to supply documentation will result in ineligibility of preference.
Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP): If you are applying under I/CTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements).
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
You must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/04/2026. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
The application process is as follows:
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Apply".
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated. Many similar positions are advertised by various offices. You MUST apply to each announcement for consideration. Officials may hire at any grade level, location or work schedule. All positions may or may not be filled. Dates and length of employment will vary between sites depending on funding and weather conditions.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
