NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest will be offering assistance to federal job applicants this Thursday, August 28, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Willits Community Center, 299 East Commercial St. in Willits.

The main focus is on individuals interested in wildland firefighting positions as part of the Forest Service’s Fall Fire Hire, with positions available on National Forests throughout California.

The Mendocino National Forest plans on filling at least 10 positions across the forest.

There are currently four positions in Willows, one in Upper Lake and five in Covelo.

However, as the statewide Fire Hire process evolves, additional vacancies may come open and be filled during the process.

The positions are advertised on USAJobs at www.usajobs.gov .

Applications must be submitted through the USAJobs site.

At the Willits event, Mendocino National Forest staff will be on hand to help navigate the application process, from developing a profile to completing the application.

Interested applicants are invited to attend any time during the event and should be prepared with a resume, work history, transcripts and certificates.

“The application process can be the most difficult part of getting a federal job,” said Forest Civil Rights Officer Ivy Merrick. “From finding and applying to the right vacancy announcement to ensuring that the required information is complete, we want to ensure that interested applicants are successful in moving to the next step for consideration.”

All positions are being filled off of national open-continuous announcements, which are annual announcements typically open from October through the following September.

Although the vacancy announcements have a closing date of Sept. 30, Fall Fire Hire applications must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 5.

Applicants also need to indicate location preferences for National Forests they are interested in to be considered.

A list of vacancies by National Forest is available at http://famcat.us/trackingdb/ .

Application information for Mendocino National Forest jobs is also available by contacting the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316.

“This is a great opportunity for those looking for a challenging and rewarding career working outdoors to protect our natural resources,” Merrick said. “We are especially excited about helping those who want to start a wildland firefighting career on the Mendocino National Forest!”

For more information on the Mendocino National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .