Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.
U.S. Workers
2,780
Median Salary
$52,380
10-Year Growth
+14.6%
Annual Openings
300
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
13 of 14 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can automatically generate and transmit emergency alerts and status updates via integrated communications and sensor feeds, enabling full relaying of messages.
Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
AI: Fully automatable - AI models using satellite, drone, and ground sensor data can estimate fire size and behavior and automatically report findings over radio or digital channels.
Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.
AI: Fully automatable - AI and geospatial tools can accurately locate fires on maps using sensor triangulation, drone imagery, and landmark databases, replicating azimuth‑sighting tasks.
Maintain records and logbooks.
AI: Fully automatable - AI systems can fully automate recordkeeping and logbook maintenance by capturing, organizing, and retrieving operational data automatically.
Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated sensor networks, weather APIs, and AI pipelines can collect, process, and report meteorological observations end-to-end.
Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
AI: Partial - AI can support tactical decision‑making and provide real‑time recommendations but cannot reliably assume command of crew operations in dynamic, life‑threatening fireline conditions.
Administer regulations regarding sanitation, fire prevention, violation corrections, and related forest regulations.
AI: Partial - AI can monitor compliance, flag violations, and draft enforcement actions, but administering regulations and making enforcement judgments requires human legal and managerial discretion.
Examine and inventory firefighting equipment, such as axes, fire hoses, shovels, pumps, buckets, and fire extinguishers, to determine amount and condition.
AI: Partial - AI can automate inventory counts via barcodes and computer vision but assessing nuanced equipment condition typically still requires human inspection.
Restrict public access and recreational use of forest lands during critical fire seasons.
AI: Partial - AI can enforce access restrictions digitally (gates, signage, alerts, website updates) and manage notifications, but physical enforcement and final policy decisions need human authorities.
Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
AI: Partial - AI and autonomous sensors/drones can detect fires and hazards from imagery and models but fully autonomous patrolling and nuanced on-the-ground judgment still require humans.
Direct maintenance and repair of firefighting equipment, or requisition new equipment.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule maintenance, prioritize repairs, and requisition parts, but directing hands‑on maintenance and conducting repairs require human technicians and oversight.
Inspect camp sites to ensure that campers are in compliance with forest use regulations.
AI: Partial - Computer vision and remote monitoring can identify many campsite violations, but physical interaction, nuanced compliance assessment, and enforcement remain human tasks.
Inspect forest tracts and logging areas for fire hazards such as accumulated wastes or mishandling of combustibles, and recommend appropriate fire prevention measures.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze aerial/satellite imagery to flag hazards and recommend mitigations, but in-field verification, stakeholder coordination, and complex judgment need human oversight.
Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
AI: Not automatable - Extinguishing fires with handheld tools is a physical task that AI cannot perform in the field without specialized robotics that are not widely deployed in 2025.