CAL FIRE Seasonal Firefighter (Fire Fighter I)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Pays you
$19–$26/hr
Figures are from salary aggregators (roughly $19-$26/hr, average around $23/hr) rather than a directly verified CAL FIRE pay schedule — treat as approximate. The important structural fact: CAL FIRE seasonals work out of state fire stations and typically SLEEP AND EAT AT THE STATION at no housing cost while on shift, and on extended incidents food and lodging are covered. There is no housing deduction. Extended-attack overtime is where the season's real money is; CAL FIRE seasonals routinely work very long incident hours in a bad California fire year. Not directly sourced. Because station duty removes most living costs during shifts, savings rate is high relative to gross for a worker with no rent at home.
$0–$600 upfront to start
California's state seasonal firefighter classification, hired in large numbers each year with no prior fire experience required and paid training. It is the standard on-ramp into California municipal and state fire careers, and pays better than most federal entry fire jobs.
- Term
- 5 mo–9 mo
- Housing
- Not provided
- Airfare
- Not covered
- Selectivity
- Moderately competitive
- Age
- 18+
- Citizenship
- Any citizenship
Deadlines
- 2027 seasonopensRolling / no fixed deadline
Application cutoffs run November 1-30 with additional cutoffs during the year; hiring begins as early as January and continues as need arises. Applications go through CalCareers; the FFI hotline is 951-901-5051.
Verified 8/26/2026 · www.joincalfire.com