Scott Bovey

CHADRON — Scott Bovey is the new fire management officer for the U.S. Forest Service office in Chadron. Beginning in December, he’ll be looking to fill hundreds of firefighting jobs. The Forest Service hopes to hire more than 900 temporary workers across Forest Service lands in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, not all of them in firefighting. …“It’s not just the hourly rate,” he said. “There are some unique benefits: overtime, travel, you get to see the country. In my tenure, I’ve fought fires across the United States.” During fire season, workers will go where they’re needed. On a big fire they might work 16-hour days for 14 days at a time, with their expenses paid. With overtime, a firefighter could make $30,000 to $35,000 in a season, he said.