What Do Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor Do?
Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor Job Description Supervise fire fighters who control and suppress fires in forests or vacant public land.
Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor Responsibilities
- Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
- Request and dispatch crews and position equipment so fires can be contained safely and effectively.
- Monitor fire suppression expenditures to ensure that they are necessary and reasonable.
- Operate wildland fire engines or hoselays.
- Recruit or hire forest firefighting personnel.
- Direct and supervise prescribed burn projects and prepare postburn reports, analyzing burn conditions and results.
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Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor Skills
Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Forest Fire Specialist Supervisor
- Supervisory Forester
- Forest Fire Management Officer
- Forestry Technician
- Fire Captain
What Kind of Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 59,100 jobs for Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,200 new jobs for Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 4,400 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor are Utah, Texas, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Vermont, or Montana. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor
The typical yearly salary for Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors is somewhere between $42,320 and $122,910.

Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors who work in California, New Jersey, or New York, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $63,180 |
Alaska | $78,020 |
Arizona | $72,460 |
Arkansas | $52,880 |
California | $134,870 |
Colorado | $84,340 |
Connecticut | $88,870 |
Delaware | $80,440 |
Florida | $81,640 |
Georgia | $60,900 |
Hawaii | $92,650 |
Idaho | $58,070 |
Illinois | $90,860 |
Indiana | $66,510 |
Iowa | $70,130 |
Kansas | $59,190 |
Kentucky | $58,350 |
Louisiana | $61,120 |
Maine | $57,410 |
Maryland | $94,490 |
Massachusetts | $85,820 |
Michigan | $68,960 |
Minnesota | $74,970 |
Mississippi | $45,940 |
Missouri | $73,390 |
Montana | $66,710 |
Nebraska | $73,220 |
Nevada | $95,080 |
New Hampshire | $70,420 |
New Jersey | $115,590 |
New Mexico | $59,360 |
New York | $107,730 |
North Carolina | $61,070 |
North Dakota | $70,560 |
Ohio | $71,050 |
Oklahoma | $75,440 |
Oregon | $85,450 |
Pennsylvania | $75,910 |
Rhode Island | $68,550 |
South Carolina | $57,460 |
South Dakota | $72,020 |
Tennessee | $56,430 |
Texas | $76,800 |
Utah | $68,040 |
Vermont | $64,890 |
Virginia | $83,440 |
Washington | $102,430 |
West Virginia | $57,940 |
Wisconsin | $73,610 |
Wyoming | $74,050 |
What Tools do Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Email software
- ESRI ArcView
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Mapping software
- Fire incident reporting systems
- FlamMap
- FARSITE
- BehavePlus
How do I Become a Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor?
What education is needed to be a Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Forest Fire Fighting & Prevention Supervisor?

Who Employs Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Sergio A. Gamboa via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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