Smokejumpers: Intro

Smokejumpers parachute into remote regions that are often not easily accessible by ground or helicopter access to provide initial attack on wildland fires. Once all the jumpers have parachuted near the fire, the equipment and tools along with food and water are dropped by parachute. If necessary, the jumpers can be completely self-sufficient for the two days on the fire. See this webpage for more information.

Some 270 smokejumpers are based at seven US Forest Service bases and two Bureau of Land Management bases around the country. They are known as national resources, meaning that they are available to fight fires around the country, including Alaska. Since 1981 when the first women smokejumper completed her training in Boise Idaho, the smoke jumping corp is made up of both men and women. The nine bases (with links for more information) are:

US Forest Service
McCall, Idaho
Grangeville, Idaho
Redding, California
West Yellowstone, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Winthrop, Washington
Redmond, Oregon

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Boise, Idaho
Fairbanks, Alaska [note smoke jumpers in Alaska are a branch of the Alaska Fire Service and the BLM]

Information about some of the smokejumper aircraft may be found here.

I will be writing more articles about smokejumpers, so stay tuned.