SOPFEU jobs: becoming a forest firefighter, requirements, season and pay

SOPFEU jobs start at $27.16 an hour: a forest firefighter with SOPFEU (Quebec's forest fire protection agency) earns that rate in the first year in 2026, according to the collective agreement rate SOPFEU publishes on its careers page. The job is seasonal, at least 40 hours a week, and applications are accepted from December 1 to January 15. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

The role of the forest firefighter

The Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) describes itself as the only organization in Quebec whose mission is protecting forests against fire. The forest firefighter fights forest fires with a crew. Firefighters travel to their assignment by truck, all-terrain vehicle or helicopter.

When there is no fire, SOPFEU assigns them to maintaining hoses, equipment and buildings, to prevention and to on-the-job training.

The requirements

SOPFEU's "Pompier forestier" page, consulted on October 11, 2026, asks for one of these two conditions.

• A DEP, a DEC or a bachelor's degree in forestry, wildlife, land management, fire safety, ecology, biology, environment, geography, recreation and adventure tourism, or a related field
• At least 3 years of work experience in a forest setting

College or university students in a relevant field may apply.

The driver's licence

A driver's licence is mandatory. All firefighters must be able to drive SOPFEU trucks, which requires no particular licence class.

The WFX-FIT physical test

The test has four steps of carrying and pulling equipment. The whole test must be completed in 17 minutes 15 seconds or less to be hired. Blood pressure, measured before the test, must be below 160/90 mm of mercury.

Training after hiring

No educational institution offers training specific to the job, SOPFEU writes. It trains its own recruits, who take "combattant national" (national firefighter) training in their first season. The training week for new firefighters is usually held in May. It is paid.

The season and the schedule

The work takes place mainly from April to September, on dates that vary from one base to another. The firefighter works 16 weeks on average in the first season. From the second season, the agreement guarantees a minimum of 17 to 18 weeks depending on the location, and it provides for recall from one year to the next.

The minimum is 40 hours a week, whether there are fires or not. Shifts run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on a schedule of ten consecutive working days followed by four days off.

The bases where you work

SOPFEU has 14 operating bases: Baie-Comeau, Bonaventure, Chibougamau, Duchesnay, Havre-Saint-Pierre, La Tuque, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Maniwaki, Matagami, Mont-Tremblant, Rimouski, Roberval, Sept-Îles and Val-d'Or. Its head office is in Quebec City. Candidates list their preferred bases in order of preference.

The employer pays room and board for an employee permanently assigned to Matagami or Lebel-sur-Quévillon if their main residence is in another locality. Elsewhere, firefighters find their own housing near their base.

The pay

SOPFEU publishes a single rate: $27.16 an hour in the first year, set by the collective agreement for 2026. At 40 hours, that comes to $1,086.40 a week before overtime, according to our own calculation. The page gives no rate for the following years.

The Government of Canada's Job Bank has no profile specific to forest firefighters. For all firefighters in Quebec (NOC 42101), it gives a low wage of $20.83 an hour, a median wage of $40.17 and a high wage of $50.00, for the 2023-2024 period. These wages were updated on November 19, 2025.

How and when to apply

Applications are accepted from December 1 to January 15 each year. The next hiring process begins in December 2026. The application has four parts.

• A cover letter
• A résumé
• A copy of your diplomas
• Your choice of home bases, in order of preference

For shortlisted candidates, recruitment usually runs from February to April: interviews, criminal background check, medical test, physical test and reference checks.

Other jobs at SOPFEU

SOPFEU describes a second seasonal job, communications attendant. It requires a high school diploma, a valid driver's licence and being 18 or older. The page publishes no pay for this position.

SOPFEU writes that its jobs are offered all year and that needs are greater between January and April.

Auxiliary firefighters are not SOPFEU employees. They go through companies accredited as labour suppliers. SOPFEU trains about 500 of them before each season.

This text summarizes public SOPFEU pages. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.

Further reading

• Working as a firefighter in Quebec: all the employers
• Firefighter jobs in Quebec: where to apply and how hiring works
• Firefighter salary in Quebec: the Quebec City and Montreal pay scales

Frequently asked questions

How do I work for SOPFEU?

For a forest firefighter position, you apply from December 1 to January 15. Other positions are posted all year on SOPFEU's job portal, mostly between January and April.

What does a forest firefighter earn?

At SOPFEU, the first-year hourly rate is $27.16 for 2026, according to the collective agreement cited on the careers page. The minimum is 40 hours a week.

What is the average salary at SOPFEU?

SOPFEU publishes no average salary. The only rate shown on its site is the first-year forest firefighter rate, $27.16 an hour in 2026.

How do I become a forest firefighter?

In Quebec, the title is "pompier forestier" (forest firefighter) and the employer is SOPFEU. You need a DEP, a DEC or a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or 3 years of work experience in a forest setting. You also need a driver's licence and must pass the WFX-FIT physical test in 17 minutes 15 seconds or less.

What training do firefighters get for forest fires?

SOPFEU gives the training itself, after hiring. Recruits take "combattant national" training in their first season. Other training is added every year.

What is the average firefighter salary in Quebec in 2026?

Job Bank gives a median wage of $40.17 an hour for firefighters in Quebec, for the 2023-2024 period, all employers combined. No official source consulted publishes an average for 2026.

Sources

• SOPFEU, Pompier forestier : un métier unique et passionnant, eligibility, WFX-FIT test, frequently asked questions and 2026 hourly rate, consulted on October 11, 2026
• SOPFEU, Faire carrière à la SOPFEU, consulted on October 11, 2026
• SOPFEU, Préposé.e.s aux communications, qualifications and list of the 14 operating bases, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Government of Canada, Job Bank, Salaires, pompier ou pompière au Québec (CNP 42101), reference period 2023-2024, updated on November 19, 2025