Fire inspectors detect fire hazards, recommend prevention measures, ensure compliance with state and local fire codes, and investigate causes of fires.

Duties

Fire inspectors and investigators examine buildings and scenes of fires; forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists assess conditions for outdoor fire risks.

Fire inspectors and investigators typically do the following:

  • Search buildings for fire hazards
  • Review building blueprints with developers
  • Ensure that existing buildings and designs comply with fire codes
  • Conduct fire and safety education programs and review emergency evacuation plans
  • Collect and analyze evidence from scenes of fires and explosions
  • Testify in civil and criminal legal proceedings
  • Work with law enforcement or exercise police powers, such as the power of arrest, and carry a weapon

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists typically do the following:

  • Patrol assigned areas to look for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena that pose wildfire risk
  • Assist in wildfire suppression
  • Operate, maintain, and repair firefighting equipment
  • Review development proposals and inspect areas for nonconforming properties or structures
  • Create and administer programs to educate the public about forest fire risks and prevention 

Fire inspectors and investigators examine buildings to look for fire hazards and study fire scenes to determine the cause of a fire. Inspectors visit homes, offices, hazardous materials storage facilities, or other buildings to enforce local ordinances and state laws. They may test fire alarms, sprinklers, and fire prevention equipment as part of their inspections. Investigators may have to clear and sort through debris at the scene of a fire or explosion for evidence such as glass, metal fragments, and accelerant residue. They analyze the evidence they collect and may interview witnesses as part of their investigation.

In some areas, inspectors also work as investigators.

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists assess outdoor fire hazards in public and residential areas. Similar to fire inspectors who visit buildings, forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists look for fire code violations and for conditions that pose a fire risk. They also recommend ways to reduce fire hazards. During patrols, they enforce fire regulations, report fire conditions to their central command center, and extinguish small fires they encounter. For large fires, they may direct the efforts of wildland firefighters.

Fire inspectors, investigators, and prevention specialists keep detailed records of their inspections and investigations. Inspectors and prevention specialists identify infractions, document corrective action required, and conduct followup inspections to ensure compliance with instructions. Investigators document all the evidence from a fire scene to help determine the cause and may need to refer to their notes and files during legal proceedings.

Work Environment

Fire inspectors and investigators held about 15,500 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of fire inspectors and investigators were as follows:

Local government, excluding education and hospitals 67%
State government, excluding education and hospitals 8
Manufacturing 1
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private           1

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists held about 2,900 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists were as follows:

State government, excluding education and hospitals 59%
Local government, excluding education and hospitals         36

Fire inspectors work both in office settings and onsite, including outdoors. Fire inspectors and investigators visit buildings, such as apartment complexes and industrial plants. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists travel to natural environments, such as forests and fields.

During onsite visits, fire inspectors may work in poorly ventilated areas and be exposed to smoke, fumes, and other hazardous agents. They may wear personal protective equipment (PPE)—including coveralls, gloves, shoe covers, and safety glasses or goggles—to reduce exposure to harmful materials. Some must wear fully enclosed protective suits, often for several hours, which may make their work physically demanding and strenuous.

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists spend much of their time outdoors.

Injuries and Illnesses

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Working at the scene of a fire can be dangerous. Injuries may occur when workers are patrolling in remote areas with rugged terrain. 

To reduce their risk of injury and illness, workers often wear PPE during patrols or investigations.

Work Schedules

Most fire inspectors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Their schedules may include evenings, weekends, and holidays because they must be ready to respond when fires occur.

Education and Training

To enter the occupation, fire inspectors typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent and work experience as a firefighter or in a related occupation. Once hired, they typically receive on-the-job-training in inspection and investigation.

Fire inspectors usually must pass a background check, which may include a drug test. Employers also typically require that candidates have a valid driver’s license. Because of their police powers, investigators and inspectors may need to be U.S. citizens. They also may need certification.

Education

Fire inspectors’ education requirements vary, but most need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent. Some need postsecondary instruction, such as that required for emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.

Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a 2- or 4-year degree in fire science or a field related to the position. For example, fire investigators might have a degree in criminal justice, and forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists might have a degree in forestry or forest management. In some cases, postsecondary education may substitute for work experience.

Training

Training requirements for fire inspectors vary. Programs are available through employers, federal agencies, and professional organizations and usually include both technical instruction and on-the-job training.

Technical instruction often takes place over several months at a fire or police academy. Topics covered include inspection or investigation processes, legal codes, courtroom procedures, hazardous and explosive materials handling protocol, and proper use of equipment.

After inspectors and investigators complete technical instruction, they typically also receive on-the-job training, during which they work with an experienced inspector or investigator.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Fire inspectors typically need several years of work experience as a firefighter or in a related occupation. For example, experience in building inspection or law enforcement may be helpful for fire inspectors and investigators, respectively, and experience in forestry or land management may be helpful for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Requirements for licensure or certification vary by state or locality. Check with your state licensing agency or local fire department for more information.

The International Code Council and The National Fire Protection Association offer additional certification for fire inspectors.

Fire investigators also may choose to pursue more certification from a nationally recognized professional association. Among these are the Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) certification from the International Association of Arson Investigators and the Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI) certification from the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI).

The National Fire Protection Association also offers Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist certification for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists.

Personality and Interests

Fire inspectors and investigators typically have an interest in the Building and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.

If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a fire inspector and investigator, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Fire inspectors and investigators should also possess the following specific qualities:

Communication skills. Inspectors must clearly explain fire code violations to building and property managers. Investigators must carefully interview witnesses as part of their fact-finding mission. 

Critical-thinking skills. Inspectors must be able to recognize code violations and recommend a way to fix the problem. Investigators must be able to analyze evidence from a fire and determine a reasonable conclusion.

Detail oriented. Fire inspectors and investigators must notice details when inspecting a site for code violations or investigating the cause of a fire.

Integrity. Inspectors must be consistent in the methods they use to enforce fire codes. Investigators must be unbiased when conducting their research and when testifying as an expert witness in court.

Pay

The median annual wage for fire inspectors and investigators was $64,600 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,190, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,730.

The median annual wage for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists was $42,600 in May 2021. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,000, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $85,270.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for fire inspectors and investigators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Manufacturing $82,920
Local government, excluding education and hospitals 64,600
State government, excluding education and hospitals 61,600
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private         51,840

In May 2021, the median annual wages for forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Local government, excluding education and hospitals        $78,300
State government, excluding education and hospitals 36,730

Most fire inspectors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Their schedules may include evenings, weekends, and holidays because they must be ready to respond when fires occur.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of fire inspectors is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 1,800 openings for fire inspectors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. 

Employment

Projected employment of fire inspectors varies by occupation (see table). Fire inspectors will be needed to assess potential fire hazards in newly constructed residential, commercial, public, and other buildings. Fire inspectors also will be needed to ensure that existing buildings meet updated federal, state, and local fire codes. Although the number of structural fires occurring across the country has been falling for some time, fire investigators will still be needed to determine the cause of fires and explosions.

Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists are expected to be needed to help prevent and control the increasingly destructive wildfires that the United States has been experiencing. However, because this is a small occupation, the fast growth is expected to result in only about 600 new jobs over the projections decade.

For More Information

For more information about federal fire investigator jobs, visit

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

For more information about training for fire inspectors, visit

National Fire Academy

Wildland Fire Training | US Forest Service

For more information about certifications and standards for fire inspectors, visit

International Association of Arson Investigators

International Code Council

National Association of Fire Investigators

National Fire Protection Association

 

 

FAQ

Where does this information come from?

The career information above is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. This excellent resource for occupational data is published by the U.S. Department of Labor every two years. Truity periodically updates our site with information from the BLS database.

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This information is taken directly from the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Truity does not editorialize the information, including changing information that our readers believe is inaccurate, because we consider the BLS to be the authority on occupational information. However, if you would like to correct a typo or other technical error, you can reach us at help@truity.com.

I am not sure if this career is right for me. How can I decide?

There are many excellent tools available that will allow you to measure your interests, profile your personality, and match these traits with appropriate careers. On this site, you can take the Career Personality Profiler assessment, the Holland Code assessment, or the Photo Career Quiz.

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