Wildland Firefighting Workforce
2026 Wildland Firefighting Capacity
In 2026, our goal is to have 11,300 wildland firefighters (GS-9 and below) onboard by mid-July before we approach the busiest part of the fire year. As of July 6, 2026, we had 11,816 wildland firefighters onboard nationwide, which is 104% of our goal. Even though this isn't enough capacity to meet the needs of the continuing wildfire crisis, this is the number of firefighters we are able to support with existing infrastructure, funding and other resources. We boost wildland firefighting capacity with other agency staff and administratively determined (AD) emergency workers qualified to support fire management activities.
Hiring Updates
The table below shows the breakdown of firefighters hired this year by Forest Service geographic areas for 2026. Numbers change each pay period (PP) as we bring more people onboard and as some firefighters decline job offers or move to other positions.
| Geographic Area | 4/13 - PP6 | 4/27-PP7 | 5/11-PP8 | 5/25-PP9 | 6/8-PP10 | 6/22-PP11 | 7/6-PP12 | -PP13 | -PP14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Rockies | 950 | 987 | 1,244 | 1,323 | 1,438 | 1,478 | 1,482 |
|
|
| Rocky Mountain | 568 | 590 | 675 | 717 | 746 | 746 | 754 |
|
|
| Southwest | 939 | 1,143 | 1,230 | 1,252 | 1,295 | 1,311 | 1,311 | ||
| Great Basin | 1,036 | 1,056 | 1,170 | 1,281 | 1,330 | 1,348 | 1,351 | ||
| California | 3,314 | 3,378 | 3,464 | 3,570 | 3,811 | 3,852 | 3,871 | ||
| Northwest | 1,386 | 1,459 | 1,584 | 1,741 | 1,817 | 1,869 | 1,933 | ||
| Southern | 710 | 707 | 701 | 696 | 695 | 693 | 692 | ||
| Eastern Area | 315 | 316 | 317 | 317 | 320 | 319 | 318 | ||
| Alaska | 32 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | ||
| Headquarters | 89 | 80 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 71 | 72 | ||
| Grand Total | 9,390 | 9,749 | 10,496 | 11,004 | 11,553 | 11,719 | 11,816 |
The table below shows the total number of wildland firefighters hired by date / pay period for comparison across years.
| As of Date - PP | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 % of Target (11,300) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 13 - PP 6 | 7,209 | 7,500 | 8,638 | 8,985 | 9,390 | 83% |
| April 27 - PP 7 | 7,539 | 7,892 | 8,969 | 9,223 | 9,749 | 86% |
| May 11 - PP 8 | 8,291 | 8,534 | 9,732 | 9,444 | 10,496 | 93% |
| May - PP 9 | 8,986 | 9,319 | 10,485 | 10,377 | 11,004 | 97% |
| June - PP10 | 10,182 | 10,068 | 10,967 | 10,856 | 11,553 | 102% |
| June - PP 11 | 10,733 | 10,778 | 11,192 | 11,057 | 11,719 | 104% |
| June - PP 12 | 10,714 | 10,778 | 11,330 | 11,236 | 11,816 | 104% |
| July - PP 13 | 10,908 | 11,150 | 11,457 | 11,349 | ||
| July - PP 14 | 10,965 | 11,187 | 11,393 | 11,364 |
Join Us!
Wonder what it’s like to be a wildland firefighter? Learn more about Careers in Wildland Fire and how to apply.