Coronado National Forest

Fire and Aviation

The fire management program is guided by the concept of appropriate suppression response; and seeks to suppress wildfires at a minimum cost consistent with land and resource management objectives and fire management direction.

Fire season can start as early as February, and run as late as November. The normal fire season in southeastern Arizona runs from April through July. An average of 150 fires occur each year on the Coronado National Forest, burning a total of 9000 acres. Sixty-nine percent of all these fires are lightning-caused, which burns 74% of the total acreage consumed by fire.

Wildland-Urban Interface

The Coronado is located next to rapidly expanding urban areas (Tucson, Oracle, Sierra Vista, Nogales and Sonoita/Patagonia). Approximately 34,000 acres of the Forest are in urban interface areas. In the Tucson area alone there are approximately 60 miles of interface. The mixture of houses, flashy fuels and brush fields in full view of a large metropolitan area adds significantly to the challenges and complexity of even the smallest wildland fire.

If you would like more information on protecting your home from wildfire, please visit these sites:

• Firewise
• Fact Sheet: Wildland Fires
• Wildfire: Are You Prepared?

Fire Management Plan

Fire Hire

The USDA Forest Service is implementing a new application program for nationwide centralized recruitment notices. Applicants can apply online at:

Fire Hire information

Some advantages applicants have when applying online are:

• Applications are made available for consideration immediately.
• Applicants receive e-mail notification on the status of their application.
• Applicants receive e-mail notification prior to their work registration update expiring.
• An e-mail account can be established when creating an applicant's profile.
• Changes can be made quickly to their information.
• Personal information can be applied automatically to each announcement.
• Electronic documents can be attached, i.e. transcripts, DD-214, etc.