Smokejumpers
Smokejumper duties can be hazardous and extremely arduous. Smokejumpers must have extensive experience in wildland firefighting. Smokejumpers must be in excellent physical condition and possess a high degree of emotional stability and mental alertness.
The U.S. Forest Service has about 320 smokejumpers that work from seven bases located in following areas:
Grangeville, Idaho
McCall, Idaho
Missoula, Montana
Redding, California
Redmond, Oregon
West Yellowstone, Montana
Winthrop, Washington
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also has smokejumpers at two bases in Boise, Idaho and Fairbanks, Alaska.
Smokejumpers travel all over the country, including Alaska, to provide highly-trained, experienced firefighters and leadership for quick initial attack on wildland fires in remote areas. Fire fighting tools, food and water are dropped by parachute to the firefighters after they land near the fire making them self-sufficient for the first 48 hours. Most smokejumpers work from late spring through early fall.
