1 wildland firefighter job is open on the Shawnee National Forest right now. 1 needs no experience. The forest is in Illinois. You could work in 6 towns on it.
See the 1 open job โ1 open job ad names a town on this forest, live from USAJOBS. Jobs that need no experience are first.
Multiple Locations · Office of the Secretary of the Interior
๐ฐ ~$77Kโ$129K a season with overtime & hazard pay (est.)
๐ฅ Get new wildland fire jobs by email
The government posts new fire jobs most Mondays. Every Tuesday morning we email you the new ones, so you can apply first. 16 jobs are open right now.
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Federal fire job ads name these towns. Pick a town to see its buildings, hiring history, and nearby fires. One ad can cover many towns, so the same job shows up in more than one row.
| Town | Jobs open now | Job ads since 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Murphysboro, Illinois | 0 | 210 |
| Vienna, Illinois | 0 | 187 |
| Harrisburg, Illinois | 0 | 87 |
| Jonesboro, Illinois | 0 | 64 |
| Golconda, Illinois | 0 | 10 |
| Marion, Illinois | 1 | 8 |
The counts are job ads, not people hired.
The boundary is the Forest Service's own outline.
To ask about a fire job, call the office in the town you want and ask for the fire staff.
| Building | Town | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Shawnee National Forest Office | Harrisburg, Illinois | 50 Hwy 145 S Directions Call 618-253-7114 |
| Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District Office | Jonesboro, Illinois | 521 N Main St Directions Call 618-833-8576 |
| Illinois Interagency Dispatch Center Dispatch center | Marion, Illinois | 8800 Refuge Rd Directions Call 618-687-1725 |
| Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District-Murphysboro Work Center Work center | Murphysboro, Illinois | 2221 Walnut St Directions |
| Hidden Springs Ranger District Office | Vienna, Illinois | 602 N First St Directions Call 618-658-2111 |
Source: U.S. Forest Service office locations. We last checked it on October 12, 2026. Some phones come from the forest's own website. "Not listed" means the Forest Service does not publish it.
A ranger district is one part of the forest, run from its own office. A dispatch center takes fire reports and sends crews. A tanker base is where firefighting planes load.
4 fires started inside the forest boundary since July 18, 2026, when our fire records begin. Together they cover 23 acres. An acre is about the size of a football field.
We only count fires that started inside the forest. A fire that started outside and burned in is not counted.
Have questions?
Book a 30-minute call with Graham. He got a Forest Service fire job in Montana with zero experience and worked the summer of 2026. Ask anything: the application, the pack test, what the money really looks like, what to pack. Parents welcome.
“Talking with Graham was super helpful, he explained the hiring process and how to successfully reach out to fire crews. He is very knowledgeable on the different paths to becoming a Wildland firefighter and answered all my questions.”