Smoke Jumpers

 Smoke jumpers are an important resource to get wildland firefighters on the ground, often in remote places. Enjoy these two videos about smoke jumpers

1. Smokejumper training 2024

Direct link to video from National Interagency Fire Center on YouTube

2. BLM Smokejumpers working the Trail Canyon Fire (2023)

Direct link to video from National Interagency Fire Center on YouTube

About the Great Basin Smokejumpers

Better late than never. I had my Omicron Covid booster yesterday and was a little out of it. So this is late. Enjoy this short video about the Great Basin Smokejumpers by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Direct link to video on YouTube by the National Interagency Fire Center

2021 wildfire season: BLM Alaska Smokejumpers First Jump

Knowing that is summer in Alaska, I have been thinking about the wildland firefighters in Alaska. I know from my reading that smokejumpers play an important roll in fighting wildfires in Alaska. I wanted to find a way to share something about smokejumpers and/or other wildland firefighting in Alaska. It was not hard for me to come up with a couple of videos to share with you, both are from BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Alaska. I wanted to do something to give a shoutout to all the wildland firefighters in Alaska in the air and on the ground. Thanks for all you do to keep the people in your Alaska safe from wildfires.

The first video is a short video about the BLM Alaska Smokejumper's annual refresher training that all smokejumpers go through.

Direct link to video from BLMAlaska

In the last video you will see the BLM Alaska Smokejumpers preparing for their first jump of the season on May 24, 2021 to the Pilot Point Fire that burned near a remote village. Twelve BLM Alaska Smokejumpers were deployed to the fire, providing important initial attack with burn out operations with the help of at least retardant drop from an air tanker. The Pilot Point Fire  burned approximately 3,750 acres and was 100% contained on Friday night, May 28, 202. See these two articles about this fire from the Alaskanewssource on May 25th and May 29th

Direct link to video from BLM Alaska

Women in wildland firefighting: Smokejumping

I have made some posts recently where I have shared some videos on smokejumping as well as offering some videos and my own reflections on the DC-3's long service as a jumpship. I think it only appropriate to share this short 2018 video on Smokejumper Naomi Mills. Enjoy.

Edited on March 29, 2021. The video that I posted here is no longer available. I am sorry, that happens sometimes.

About smokejumping: behind the scenes at the BLM Alaska smoke jumping base

When I wrote my April 15th post on smokejumping, I shared that I had been doing some reading. By coincidence, much of the reading to date has been about smokejumping. At the time, I had hoped that I might write some reflection pieces based on what I have been reading. For now, I have take that back as writing such a reflection piece does not feel right at the moment. Perhaps that will change in the future, and perhaps not.

Instead of a reflection piece, there have been various things that I have gotten interested in through my reading. Things that I wanted to check out to see what I could find. As I have read some on smoke jumping in Alaska and got curious. In addition, I was also curious about certain behind the scenes aspects of smokejumping such as the cubbies where the smokejumpers hang their jump suit and stash the gear, drying out and then repacking parachutes, the cache, weather forecasting, and aviation operations. And of course, the smoke jumping base itself. I got my answers to most of these questions in this video, just under 13 minutes, by Live Alaska. Live Alaska takes us on a tour of the Alaska BLM facilities.


Direct link to video on Youtube from Live Alaska

About smokejumpers: McCall Smoke jumpers

During the time that I have been sheltering in place during this pandemic, I continue to spend time on this blog. Part of this time includes catching up on some of my wildland fire related reading. I have been reading books by smokejumpers about their experiences fighting wildfires. I have learned a lot. I am still trying to figure if I can incorporate what I am learning into this blog. Perhaps some kind of reflection piece that is not necessarily a book review. I don't claim that reading will make me any kind of expert, rather through their words, I am given a peak into their world.

In the meantime, as I am not quite ready to write any kind of reflection piece based on what I have been reading, I went online to look at videos about smoke jumping. I found these two that I looked, both about McCall Smoke jumpers. I like the videos because I can see some pictures of what I have been reading about. Enjoy.

The first video is about rookie training. If you get an error on trying to play this embedded video, click the link below, it should work.


Direct link to video on Youtube by the Interagency Fire Center


The second video is a more general introduction to the McCall Smokejumpers that includes rookie training.


Direct link to video by On Final Productions

Meet some California Smokejumpers

I wanting to post something a little different today, and came upon this nine minute plus video called Smokejumpers: Fire in the Blood an April 2016 report by ABC News. I enjoyed this behind the scene look at what smokejumpers. This may be a rerun, so to speak, if so it is worth showing again. Enjoy.


Direct link to Youtube Video by ABC News

About Redmond (OR) Air Center

Enjoy this 2016 video by the US Forest Service about the Air Center in Redmond Oregon. In this four minute video you will get a brief overview of the various wildfire services based at Redmond: hotshots, smoke jumpers, air tankers, cache, and a training center


direct link to Youtube video by the US Forest Service

Aviation History: 555th Parachute Battalion (Smokejumpers)

A couple of days ago, thanks to Mike Archer's Wildfire News of the Day Newsletters, I learned about the 55th Parachute Battalion aka smokejumpers, that served at the end of World War II. There is a nice write-up with a video on this military.com webpage. The 555th Parachute Battalion aka the "triple nickles" were based in the Pacific Northwest in World War II on a highly classified mission to protect the Pacific Northwest from incendiary Japanese balloon bombs. These balloon bombs were designed to ignite firestorms. I don't exactly know if the Japanese used these balloon bombs, but I believe that the "triple nickle" helped to fight wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and were eventually called smoke jumpers.

I was not able to embed the video about the "triple nickles" that was shared on this military.com webpage. But I was able to find this Facebook post from the US Army.

Time for some smokejumpers - October 2017

Some of you know that when I first got interested in wildland firefighting nine years ago, one of my former grad school professors who was knowledgable about forestry and wildland firefighting suggested that I read a couple of books about smokejumpers. I followed his advice. Time went on and eventually started this blog.

From time to time, as I am doing now, I like to look around for new to me videos about smokejumpers. I found two that I am sharing here. Perhaps some of you have already seen these two videos elsewhere, but if so, perhaps you will enjoy seeing them again. Allow about 15 minutes to watch both videos.

This first video is from ABC News (April 2016) and is about smokejumpers out of Redding California (California Smokejumpers website). TodayI enjoyed hearing the smokejumpers, a base manager, and a wife of one of the jumpers talk about their experiences. Especially the wife for adding the dimension of what it is like for her and their children.


Direct link to video from ABC News

In the second video you will get an overview of the McCall Idaho Smokejumpers.  The video is from On Final Productions (February 2017)


Direct link to video from OnFinal Productions

Smokejumping: perspectives of a female smoke jumper

Thanks to Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation, who shared on March 14th about Ramona Beyuka, a woman who has been smokejumping for about a dozen years. As I shared a video the other day from the late 1940s about smokejumping, this video fits into what I shared previously and was too good to pass up. Ramona jumps with the McCall Smokejumpers out of McCall Idaho. What to go Ranoma.


Direct link to video from Great Big Story on Youtube

Enjoy!

Smokejumpers: more history

I wrote an article on Smokejumper history in July 2009, that I edited last summer to delete some outdated links. I was on  Archive dot org's Fedflix just now looking for another video which I have yet to find. In the course of my search on Fedflix, I found a 55 minute video called "Smoke Jumper Training for Airborne Fire Fighting in Missoula, Montana circa 1945-1949. I believe that this is a much longer version of the short (4 minute) version that I embedded in my July 2009 post on SmokeJumper History.

Some of you know that I appreciate the history of wildland firefighting, so it is in that spirit that I share this video here. Enjoy.


Direct Link to video on Archive dot org

Smokejumping: Reflections

When I first got seriously interested in wildland firefighting I got in touch with a former professor with whom I studied a little about forestry (among other things) while I was in graduate school. I told Marc about my interest in wildland firefighting. He suggested that I read Young Men and Fire by Norman McLean about Mann Gulch . A short time later, I read Jumping Fire, by Murray A.Taylor about his life as a smokejumper. So you could say that one of my introductions to wildland firefighting was through smokejumping.

One of these days on one of my treks out west, I’ll have an opportunity to visit a Smokejumper Base or two. I’d love to see up close and personal some of what I’ve seen in videos about what happens at a Smokejumper Base. Perhaps I’d be able to visit one of the smokejumping aircraft up close and personal.

Over the last several days, I have grown to appreciate the complexity of all that is involved in smokejumping. I don’t know if what I have posted previously or plan to post in the capture will adequately capture all that is involved in smokejumping from training to practice jumps to getting the call to a fire to jumping to the fire to working the fire.

As I continue to write this blog on the different aspects of aerial wildland firefighting, I hope that some of my respect for all wildland firefighters whether the be on the ground or in the air as well as their support staff comes through in what I share.

Before I leave, I do hope to continue the series on smokejumping 101 (see articles from March 3rd, March 4th, and March 9th). I have some queries out to get some more information on smokejumping to share with you. But this process may take a several days. So stay tuned, I'll be back with more articles in my series on smokejumping as soon as I can.

Added on May 29, 2015: I spent some time thinking about how I will approach any future articles on smokejumping. I'm not sure at this point when I'll be making more posts on smokejumping. Over the course of the current wildfire season (2015) I will be looking to try learn more about smokejumping. Because I do not live in close proximity to any Smokejumping bases, this will be difficult. However, I am hoping that I might be able to learn something about smokejumping that I can share with you.

Smokejumping 101 part 3: More on Smokejumper Aircraft

Here are some videos and or pictures of four smokejumper aircraft. Later this week I'll be back with more in this series

Twin Otter
8 smokejumpers


direct link to video

Casa 212
10 smokejumpers

Practice jump Casa 212


direct link to video

Shorts Sherpa
10 smokejumpers

I believe that the aircraft you are seeing in the video from KQED on the California Smokejumpers that I embed below is a Shorts Sherpa. If the embed code doesn’t work, the direct link should work. I first shared this video in August 2014, but it is approrpriate to share it again.

direct link to video

I shared some links to photos and videos of the Sherpa on February 27, 2015. (I was having trouble with this link, and if it doesn't work just scroll down a bit on the main page of my blog and you should find the post).

Dornier 228
8 smokejumpers
picture from California Smokejumpers Aircraft page (bottom of page)

Alaska Smokejumpers

I was hoping to write a little more about the different types of smokejumper aircraft. As sometimes happens, I have to take a little more time to do some more research before I write my article. Sorry about that. I’m not going to take too long on this phase of my research, and it is my intention to post a second article next week, either on March 9 or March 11.

In the meantime, I have previously shared videos about Alaska Smokejumpers on December 28, 2012 (SJ training) and on January 2, 2013 (2012 season). I found some more videos about Alaska Smokejumpers that I want to share with you to share with you from the Alaska Film Archives. They have a collection of nine videos showcasing Alaska Smokejumpers, I am sharing three with you.

Air to air video of Alaska smokejumpers jumping from a Volpar aircraft (1986)



direct link to video


Alaska smokejumpers exiting airplanes (2005)



direct link to video


Wildfire and retardant drops from Alaska Smokejumpers collection (1985-1996)



direct link to video

Smokejumping 101 - part 2: About Smokejumper Aircraft

Just as the Interagency Airtanker Board approves Interagency Airtanker Board (IAB) Multi-engine Tankers, SEATS, Helitankers and Retardant tanks the Smokejumper Aircraft Screening and Evaluation Board (SASEB) evaluates and approves

smokejumper/paracargo aircraft and related accessories, initiatives, proposals and issues. SASEB will provide guidance for standardization, when evaluating new interagency smokejumper/paracargo aircraft and related aircraft accessories (Smokejumper Aircraft Screening and Evaluation Board (SASEB)).

There is a list of SASEB approved aircraft dated 2004 on the Smokejumper Aircraft Screening and Evaluation Board (SASEB) website, but if you click on the 2004 Meeting Approved List the resulting document is dated August 2, 2000. It isn’t quite clear to me if the SASEB approved aircraft list has been revised since that time.

What I do know is that I found a listing of Smokejumper Aircraft 2015 from the National Interagency Coordination Center’s aviation page. Of course, if you are landing here sometime after 2015, I’m not sure what will happen when you click on the link that I gave. Anyway, the listing of smokejumper aircraft that will be used in 2015 includes some useful information. such as the tail number, aircraft type, aircraft identifier and assigned base.

Four types of smokejumper aircraft will be used in 2015: Twin Otter DHC-6, Sherpa, Dornier, and Casa 212. I will write more about these four aircraft types on Friday, March 5.

Looking to the future, Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation has been reporting about 15 Sherpa C-23B aircraft that the U.S. Army is transferring to the U.S. Forest Service, his latest article was written on October 28, 2014. He asked Jennifer Jones, a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson for an update:

As of 9/11/14, a total of 10 C-23B+/SD3-60s have been transferred from the DoD to the U.S. Forest Service and the remainder are scheduled to be transferred within the next few weeks. . . . 

The U.S. Forest Service will locate one aircraft in Ogden, Utah to serve as the prototype aircraft for FAA Civil Certification as an SD3-60 Sherpa and will then conform the rest of the C-23B+ aircraft to that standard. One of the three aircraft located in Redmond, Oregon will be used to complete the Smokejumper Aircraft Screening and Evaluation Board (SASEB) approval process and to develop pilot familiarity and training. The other aircraft will be progressively certified, configured for wildfire suppression missions, and brought into service. 

The U.S. Forest Service expects to begin bringing the aircraft into service incrementally (two to four aircraft per year) beginning in 2016 . . .

For more information on the 15 Sherpa C-23B aircraft read Bill’s October 28, 2014 article. I expect that Bill will continue to report on this as new developments arise so you might check out Fire Aviation every so often.

Stay tuned for my next article in this series where I’ll continue to write about smokejumper aircraft.

Smokejumping 101 - part 1

Some of you might have guessed that I am working on a series on Smokejumpers. I am still developing this series as I write this. I hope to present either some different information from that I have presented in earlier articles or else (hopefully) present some additional information about subjects that I have already written about.

I thought that I’d begin with an article, which will be a review of sorts, listing the Smokejumper Bases. In one article that I wrote on Smokejumping, on July 15, 2009, I listed the nine Smokejumper Bases. To review, these bases 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]

The USFS maintains a webpage listing the current Smokejumper Bases along with locations and contact info that I obtained from here.

The National Smokejumpers Users Guide-2011 (SJ Users Guide) is an easy to read document with a lot of basic information. I found some useful information that answered some questions that I had. On page 5 of the SJ Users Guide I found the same listing of USFS and BLM Smokejumper Bases this time listed by region with the number of personnel at each base, along with a map. According to the SJ Users Guide (2011), page 5 there “are about 325 Forest Service smokejumpers” based at the seven USFS bases (at least when the SJ Users Guide was printed in 2011), and 145 BLM smokejumpers. USFS and BLM smokejumpers are interchangeable.

I had read that smokejumpers sometimes operate out of other bases, these bases are listed on page 5 of the SJ Users Guide and are also included in the map. Unfortunately I can not reproduce the map here, so I hope that you will take a few moments and look at the map.These other bases that have been used are referred to as “spike bases:”

Vernal, Utah
Price Utah
Moab, Utah,
Pocatello, Idaho
Salmon, Idaho
Santa Fe New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Prescott, Arizona
Cannon City, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
Elko Nevada

I will continue with this series on Smokejumpers tomorrow or Thursday where I’ll write a little more about Smokejumper aircraft.

A little about the history of California smokejumpers and their aircraft

Between going outside and working on some ice that is or was blocking the underground pipe that drains one of my gutter downspouts I have been reading more about the Smokejumper program. I had been hoping to make a post today, perhaps the first of a few posts, but I am running out of time today. I will return tomorrow with some more information.

But in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy reading some information that I found on the California Smokejumpers-Redding wepage. They have a lot of great information, and I have spent at least one hour, perhaps more, looking at various pieces of information. I will point you to three items that I read this afternoon:

Development of Smokejumping in the U.S.
How the California Smokejumpers Began
California Smokejumper Aircraft

Smokejumper Aircraft: Shorts Sherpa C-23A

I  am pretty certain that I embedded a video last August showing the California Smokejumpers from Redding shows the smoke jumpers jumping out of a Shorts Sherpa C23A.  The California Smokejumpers - Redding have an aircraft page where you can learn more about the current aircraft they use (Shorts Sherpa and Dornier (contracted) as well as past aircraft.

The Sherpa 330 is made by the Shorts Brothers in Northern Ireland and is known as a flying wing because of its unique, aerodynamic body shape. The Sherpa has a cruise speed of 160 knots, carries up to 10 jumpers and is jumped from a stand-up position. It has a range of approximately 300 miles and is currently still used at Redding. (California Smokejumpers-Redding about aircraft) 

The Missoula Smokejumpers have a publicly available Facebook page that may be found where their aircraft photo album has a couple of pictures of a Sherpa.

More on McCall Smokejumpers and their aircraft

I shared a great video about the McCall Smokejumpers on January 5th and if you haven't looked at this video (just under seven minutes), I hope that you take the time to look at it. I wanted to dig up some photos of the other smokejumper aircraft, the DH-6 300 series Twin Otter, the Shorts Sherpa C-23, Dornier, and Casa. I have just begun this process and in found a couple of photo galleries from the McCall Smokejumpers with some photos of the Smokejumper aircraft.

I loved the first photo gallery, McCall Smokejumpers 2014 which you may view as a slide show starting with here with the first photo. Included in this wonderful photogallery (please take a few moments to go thru the pictures) you will some pictures of a Twin Otter Smokejumper aircraft. In fact there are several pictures of the Twin Otter through out the gallery.

The McCall Smokejumpers have a photo page which includes an aircraft gallery including photos of Smokejumper aircraft (DC-3T, and the Twin Otter).