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{{Short description|Skydiving wildland firefighters}}
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[[File:Mso smokejumpers.png|thumb|Fully outfitted smokejumpers boarding a [[Short C-23 Sherpa]] aircraft in [[Missoula, Montana]], en route to a fire in the [[Idaho panhandle]], July 1994]]
<!--This article does not say what they do: how are fires contained? How do they get out? What tools do they carry? How do they communicate? How successful are they and how is success measured?  -->

A '''smokejumper''' is a specially-trained [[Wildfire suppression|wildland firefighter]] who provides an initial attack response on remote [[wildfire]]s. They are inserted at the site of the fire by [[parachute]]. This allows firefighters to access remote fires in their early stages without needing to hike long distances carrying equipment and supplies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |title=Smokejumpers |url=https://www.frimedia.org/uploads/1/2/2/7/122743954/heritage-vol-4-no9.pdf |journal=Heritage |volume=4 |issue=9 |pages=44–47 |via=Fire and Rescue International}}</ref> Traditional terrestrial crews can use only what they can carry and often require hours and days to reach fire on foot. The benefits of smokejumping include the speed at which firefighters can reach a burn site, the broad range of fires a single crew can reach by aircraft, and the larger equipment payloads that can be delivered to a fire compared to pedestrian crews.<ref name=":2" />

Once arrived on site, smokejumpers use similar strategies to [[hotshot crew]]s and terrestrial crews to extinguish fires. Primarily, firefighters use axes to dig trenches around the fire's perimeter to isolate the flames from further fuel sources - nearby trees and shrubs. By tilling the newly exposed soil, the firefighters limit available material for the fire and it slowly burns itself out. If necessary, crews will supervise the fire overnight, and churn the ash in the morning to effectively put out any remaining embers. Once the fires are deemed thoroughly extinguished, smokejumpers retrieve the equipment and hike to the nearest clearing to be collected by helicopter.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-10 |title=Washington State Smokejumpers Prepare for Wildfire Season |url=https://www.governing.com/infrastructure/washington-state-smokejumpers-prepare-for-wildfire-season |access-date=2024-04-07 |website=Governing |language=en}}</ref>

As of 2025, there are only five countries that currently house smokejumpers: Russia, China, Canada, United States and Malaysia. These countries often coordinate exchange programs in which smokejumpers travel to aid in intense wildfire seasons.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

In addition to performing the initial attack on wildfires, they may also provide leadership for extended attacks on wildland fires. Shortly after smokejumpers touch ground, they are supplied by parachute with food, water, and firefighting tools, making them self-sufficient for 48 hours. Smokejumpers are usually on duty from early spring through late fall.

==History==
[[File:Smokejumpers, 1948.jpg|thumb|left|[[US Forest Service]] smokejumpers, based in [[Deming, New Mexico]], 1948]]
Prior to the full establishment of smokejumping, experiments with parachute insertion of firefighters were conducted in 1934 in [[Utah]] and in the [[Soviet Union]]. Earlier, [[aerial firefighting]] experiments had been conducted with air delivery of equipment and water bombs. Although this first experiment was not pursued, another began in 1939 in the [[Methow River|Methow Valley]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]],  where professional parachutists jumped into a variety of timbered and mountainous terrains, proving the feasibility of the idea.

Smokejumping was first proposed in 1934 in the [[Intermountain West|Intermountain Region]] (Region 4), by Regional Forester T.V. Pearson. By 1939, the program began as an experiment in the Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6). The first official non-fire jump was made in the [[Nez Perce National Forest]] in the Northern Region (Region 1) in 1940 by John Furgurson and Lester Gohler. The McCall smokejumper program was established in 1943; their base is on the Idaho shores of [[Payette Lake]]. The base is near six [[National forest (United States)|national forests]]: Nez Perce / [[Clearwater National Forest|Clearwater]], [[Sawtooth National Forest|Sawtooth]], the [[Boise National Forest|Boise]], [[Payette National Forest|Payette]], [[Salmon–Challis National Forest|Salmon–Challis]], and [[Wallowa-Whitman National Forest|Wallowa-Whitman]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fs.fed.us/science-technology/fire/smokejumpers/mccall/history|title=History of Smokejumping {{!}} US Forest Service|website=www.fs.fed.us|date=5 May 2017|access-date=2019-05-03}}</ref>

In 1942, permanent jump operations were established at [[Winthrop, Washington]], and Ninemile Camp, an abandoned [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] camp (Camp Menard) a mile north of the Forest Service's Ninemile Remount Depot ([[Pack animal|pack mule]]) at [[Huson, Montana]], about {{cvt|30|mi}} northwest of [[Missoula, Montana|Missoula]]. The first fire jumps were made by Rufus Robinson and [[Earl Cooley (smokejumper)|Earl Cooley]] at Rock Pillar near Marten Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest on July 12, 1940, out of Ninemile, followed shortly by a two-man fire jump out of Winthrop. In subsequent years, the Ninemile Camp operation moved to Missoula, where it became the Missoula Smokejumper Base. The Winthrop operation remained at its original location, as North Cascades Smokejumper Base. The "birthplace" of smokejumping continues to be debated between these two bases, the argument having persisted for about 70 years.

The first smokejumper training camp was at the [[Seeley Lake, Montana|Seeley Lake Ranger Station]], over {{cvt|60|mi}} northeast of Missoula. The camp relocated to Camp Menard in July 1943. Here, when not fighting fires, the men spent much time putting up hay to feed the hundreds of [[Packhorse|pack mules]] that carried supplies and equipment to guard stations and fire locations. To work fires, the men, organized into squads of eight to fifteen, were stationed at six strategic points, also known as "spike camps": Seeley Lake, Big Prairie, and Ninemile in Montana; Moose Creek and McCall in Idaho; and Redwood Ranger Station in southwestern Oregon at the edge of [[Cave Junction, Oregon|Cave Junction]]. The men worked from other spike camps as well, including some in Washington.

===Relations with the military===
After observing smokejumper training methods at [[Seeley Lake, Montana|Seeley Lake]] in June 1940, then-Major [[William C. Lee]] of the United States Army went on to become a major general and establish the [[101st Airborne Division]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-culture/smokejumpers-airborne-firefighters/|title=These are the airborne firefighters that handle the most intense wildfires|date=15 April 2021}}</ref>

In 1940, Army Dr. (Captain) Leo P. Martin was [[United States Air Force Pararescue#Pre-World War II|trained]]  by the U.S. Forest Service Smokejumper Parachute Training Center in Seeley Lake, Montana as the first 'para-doctor' (predecessor to USAF [[United States Air Force Pararescue|Pararescue]]).

In May 1978, members of the Army National Guard's [[19th Special Forces Group]] (Airborne) and other western military units briefly began airborne training at the Missoula Smokejumper School. Although in years past, the army had conducted basic airborne training at various locations, it has since been consolidated at Fort Benning, (now called [[Fort Moore]]) Georgia.

===WWII-era===
The [[555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (United States)|555th Parachute Infantry Battalion]] gained fame as the only entirely black airborne unit in United States Army history. The 555th was allegedly not sent to combat because of segregation in the military during World War II. In May 1945, the unit was sent to the [[West Coast of the United States]] to combat forest fires ignited by [[incendiary balloon]]s sent by the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese Empire]], an operation named "Operation Firefly". Although this threat did not fully materialize, the 555th fought numerous other forest fires while there. Stationed at [[Eastern Oregon Regional Airport|Pendleton Field]], Oregon, with a detachment in [[Chico, California]], 300 unit members participated in firefighting missions throughout the [[Pacific Northwest]] during the summer and fall of 1945, earning the nickname "Smoke Jumpers". The 555th made a total of 1,200 jumps to 36 fires, 19 from Pendleton and 17 from Chico. Only one member, PFC Malvin L. Brown, was killed on August 6, 1945, after falling during a let-down from a tree in the [[Umpqua National Forest]] near [[Roseburg, Oregon]]. His death is the first recorded smokejumper fatality during a fire jump.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

Around 240 workers from [[Civilian Public Service]] (CPS) camps worked as smokejumpers during World War II. An initial group of 15 men began training in parachute rigging in May 1943 at Seeley Lake, and a total of 33 completed jump training in the middle of June, followed by two weeks of training in fire ground control and first aid. About 500 training jumps were made by the first 70 CPS smokejumpers in 1943, who went on to fight 31 fires that first season. Their number increased to 110 in 1944, and to 220 in 1945, as more equipment became available from the War Department. Twenty-nine jumpers battled the remote Bell Lake fire in September 1944, among 70 fires suppressed that year, and 179 were fought in the Missoula Region alone by September 1945, with other jumpers assigned to McCall and Cave Junction. The last CPS smokejumper left the service in January 1946.

The Smokejumper Project had become a permanent establishment of the USFS in 1944. In 1946, the Missoula Region had 164 smokejumpers, many of them recent military veterans, college students, or recent college graduates. New bases were opened in [[Grangeville, Idaho]], and [[West Yellowstone, Montana]].

Most smokejumpers of the era were not career professionals, but seasonal employees lured by the prospect of earning as much as $1,000 over a summer. They tended to be well-behaved, self-motivated, and responsible. Squad-sized and larger crews were supervised by foremen who were career wildland firefighters and experts in all types of wildfires.

===Mann Gulch fire===
The fire with the greatest toll of smokejumper deaths was the [[Mann Gulch fire]] in 1949, which occurred north of [[Helena, Montana]], at the [[Gates of the Mountains Wilderness|Gates of the Mountains]] area along the [[Missouri River]]. Thirteen firefighters died during the blowup, twelve of them smokejumpers. This disaster directly led to the establishment of modern safety standards used by all wildland firefighters. Author [[Norman Maclean]] described the incident in his book ''[[Young Men and Fire]]'' (1992).

==Smokejumper crews worldwide==
Smokejumpers are employed by the Russian Federation, United States (namely the [[United States Forest Service]] and [[Bureau of Land Management]]),  Canada (in [[British Columbia]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Canadian Smokejumper |url=https://smokejumper.ca/ |access-date=2020-05-22 |website=smokejumper.ca |archive-date=2020-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127110002/https://smokejumper.ca/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Malaysia.

===Russia===
In Russia, smokejumpers are firefighters who parachute or rappel, or both, into fires. They work for the [[Aerial Forest Protection Service (Russia)|Aerial Forest Protection Service]], or ''Avialesookhrana''. This agency represents the largest cohort of smokejumpers worldwide, employing up to 4,000 individuals who protect {{cvt|2,000,000,000|acre}} of land across 11 different time zones. This makes the ''Avialsookhrana'' the primary defences for half of Russia's wildland. Smokejumpers are located at 340 Avialsookhrana bases and dispatched in groups of differing sizes according to the situation at hand. Rappelling crews consist of a maximum of 20 firefighters, while parachuting teams are usually made up of five or six.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2009-10-09 |title=Russian Smokejumpers, Wildfires, Article, Photos -- National Geographic |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/russian-smokejumpers |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Environment |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

===Canada===
In Canada, smokejumpers are employed by the [[BC Wildfire Service]]. Here, there are three classes of initial response firefighters; initial attack crews, rapattack crews (refers to firefighters who [[Abseiling|rappel]] from aircraft into wildfires), and parattack crews (smokejumpers). The BC Wildfire Service houses roughly 60 smokejumpers yearly<ref>{{Cite web |last=Service |first=BC Wildfire |title=Initial attack crews - Province of British Columbia |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-response/wildfire-personnel-and-response-tools/wildfire-crews/initial-attack-crews |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=www2.gov.bc.ca}}</ref> and operates the only smokejumper crews in Canada. There are two crews located in the northeast of the province.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Location {{!}} The Canadian Smokejumper |url=https://smokejumper.ca/contact-us/location/ |access-date=2020-05-22 |website=smokejumper.ca |archive-date=2020-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127104257/https://smokejumper.ca/contact-us/location/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* North Peace Smokejumpers in [[Fort St. John, British Columbia]]
* Omenica Smokejumpers in [[Mackenzie, British Columbia]]

===United States===
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) house 320 smokejumpers yearly, across nine bases in the western third of the country, in [[Idaho]] (3), [[Montana]] (2), [[California]], [[Oregon]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], and [[Alaska]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-12-28 |title=Smokejumpers |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/people/smokejumpers |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=US Forest Service |language=en}}</ref>  In 2020, across all the bases, 1,130 jumps were executed, with a total of 5211 days spent on initial attack.<ref name=":1">''"National Smokejumper Program 2020 Fire Season Summary" (PDF). U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. December 9, 2020. Retrieved March 6th 2024.''</ref> As of August 2021, nine smokejumper crews operate in the United States; seven by the USFS and two by the BLM.

Operated by the U.S. Forest Service:
*Northwest{{snd}}Redmond Smokejumpers in [[Redmond, Oregon]]; North Cascades Smokejumpers in [[Winthrop, Washington]]
*Northern California{{snd}}Region 5 Smokejumpers in [[Redding, California]]
*Northern Rockies{{snd}}Missoula Smokejumpers in [[Missoula, Montana]]; Grangeville Smokejumpers in [[Grangeville, Idaho]]; West Yellowstone Smokejumpers in [[West Yellowstone, Montana]]
*Great Basin{{snd}}McCall Smokejumpers in [[McCall, Idaho]]

Operated by the Bureau of Land Management:
*Great Basin{{snd}}Boise Smokejumpers in [[Boise, Idaho]]
*Alaska{{snd}}Alaska Smokejumpers in [[Fort Wainwright|Fort Wainwright, Alaska]]

===Malaysia===
Pasukan Khas Udara Bomba (PASKUB) ({{langx|en|italic=yes|Bomba Special Air Services}}) is a command for elite smokejumper supported by helicopters from JBPM Air Wing.

Smoke Jumpers Unit ({{langx|ms|Unit Payung Terjun Bomba}}) is an elite unit of [[Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia|JBPM]] and trained in parachute insertion (static line and freefall), helicopter-borne operation and jungle survival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2015&dt=0408&pub=Kosmo&sec=Rencana_Utama&pg=ru_01.htm|title=Pengalaman selamatkan mangsa terowong Selantik|website=www.kosmo.com.my|language=en|access-date=2017-04-29}}</ref> The formation of elite Smoke Jumper began in 2000 after JBPM sent five firefighters to enter the [[Static line|Basic Static Line Parachuting]] Course held at [[Royal Malaysian Air Force|Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)]] [[Simpang Airport|Sempang Air Force Base]], [[Sungai Besi]] as the pioneer team Smoke Jumpers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sinarharian.com.my/wawancara/jbpm-perkasa-kemahiran-melalui-udara-1.441543|title=JBPM perkasa kemahiran melalui udara|last=YUSOF|first=NOOR’AINON MOHAMED|access-date=2017-04-26}}</ref> The course was conducted by RMAF Special Operations Force, [[PASKAU]] until 2007 when JBPM established their own [[Ram Air Progression System|Static Ramp Air]] Course.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fram.bomba.gov.my/v7/fram/index.php/ms/pasukan-khas/87-smoke-jumper|title=Akademi Bomba Dan Penyelamat Malaysia - Smoke Jumper|website=fram.bomba.gov.my|language=ms-my|access-date=2017-04-26}}</ref> Among the task of Smoke Jumper is:
* Combat Air Rescue Medic 
* [[Medical evacuation|Medical Evacuation (Medevac)]]
* Deep jungle/Isolated Area Firefighting Operations

Smoke Jumpers enjoys good relations with [[Malaysian Armed Forces|Malaysian Armed Force]] Special Operations Forces as they always train with RMAF PASKAU, [[Malaysian Army]] [[Grup Gerak Khas]] from [[Special Warfare Training Centre (Malaysia)|PULPAK]] and [[Royal Malaysia Police|Royal Malaysian Police]] [[Pasukan Gerakan Khas#VAT 69|VAT 69 Commando]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bomba.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/229|title=Portal Rasmi Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat MalaysiaKursus Pengukuhan Payung Terjun JBPM Bersama Pasukan VAT 69 Dan PULPAK ( Pusat Latihan Peperangan Kh|website=www.bomba.gov.my|access-date=2017-04-26}}</ref> PASKUB members are selected from various units including STORM, MUST and EMRS.

=== China ===
Due to the logistics issues of boots-on-the-ground firefighting, in 1960 the {{Ill|People's Armed Police Forestry Corps|lt=Forest Protection Police|zh|中國人民武裝警察部隊森林部隊}} (a predecessor of the People's Armed Police Forestry Corps, which was disbanded in 2018<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Runping |first=Yao |date=2018-03-23 |title=致敬！再见了公安边防、消防、警卫，武警黄金、森林、水电 |trans-title=Salutations! Goodbye to the border defense, MPS firefighting corps, MPS guard corps, PAP gold, forestry and hydropower corps |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-03/23/c_129835969.htm |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=[[Xinhua News Agency]]}}</ref>) received 122 paratroopers and founded the [[Forest Police Airborne Detachment|Forest Police Smokejumper Company]] ({{Zh|c=森警空降扑火中队}}) for rapid deployment against wildfires. On 27 May 1965 the Company saw its first action, deploying 10 Smokejumpers to assist with fighting a wildfire in [[Daxing'anling Prefecture]]. In 1978, the Smokejumper Company was renamed to the '''Airborne Detachment''' ({{Zh|c=森警机降支队}}). Between its establishment and 1981, the Airborne Detachment was deployed to fight a total of over 325 wildfires, however its fate past 1981 is currently unknown.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=2018-03-22 |title=回顾武警森林部队70年：曾被誉为"红孩儿敢死队" |trans-title=Revisiting the 70 years history of the PAP Forestry corps; Once nicknamed the "Fearless red boys" |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2038220 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=[[The Paper (newspaper)|The Paper]]}}</ref>
{{External media|title=The Forest Police Smokejumper Company in 1962 with their [[Lisunov Li-2|Li-2]]; from [[The Paper (newspaper)|The Paper]]|image1=https://thepaper-prod-oldimagefromnfs.oss-cn-shanghai.aliyuncs.com/image/7/42/82.jpg|float=left}}

== Equipment and gear ==

=== Aircraft ===
Smokejumping crews prefer the use of fixed wing aircraft rather than helicopters as they typically carry more passengers and larger payloads. At the [[Fort St. John, British Columbia|Fort St. John]] base in British Columbia, Canada, modified [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3]] planes are used to carry thirteen jumpers and two spotters.<ref name=":2" />

[[CASA C-212 Aviocar]] airplanes are common for American crews as they possess rear ramps that are retractable.<ref name=":3" /> However, in 2020 the main aircraft used by the USFS smokejumpers were SD3-60, B model, [[Short C-23 Sherpa|Sherpas]]. These represented seven of the nine agency owned aircraft that season.<ref name=":1" />

The [[Lisunov Li-2]] was used by the Chinese Forest Police Smokejumper Company.<ref name=":12" />

Recently the United States have made advancements in paracargo technology that allows for supplies to be dropped with a high level of accuracy through low visibility settings such as night time and heavy smoke. This global positioning system (GPS) technology is called [[Joint Precision Airdrop System|Joint Precision Air Drop System]] (JPADS).<ref name=":1" />

=== Firefighting gear ===
A single crew of five to six smokejumpers in Canada will carry {{cvt|6,000|ft}} of hose, four heavy water pumps, four chainsaws, hand tools ([[Pulaski (tool)|Pulaski axes]]) and enough water for all crew members for 48 hours. These are all dropped with bound in a separate parachute drop.<ref name=":2" /> Additionally, tree climbing gear must be included in equipment drops as is possible for jumpers to become tangled in trees upon descent.<ref name=":3" />

=== Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ===
[[File:Smoke jumper equipment.jpg|thumb|Smokejumper equipment on display, West Yellowstone, Montana.]]
The main body of a Canadian smokejumpers PPE is a [[Kevlar]] suit to protect against the intense heat of fires, as well as sharp objects that may pierce the skin. Helmets are adorned with mesh face shields to maintain visibility while protecting the smokejumpers from branches and embers. Gear is designed to allow jumpers to free themselves if they become tangled in trees, and is designed to help firefighters to float should they land in a body of water. These standard design features for Canadian parattack crews run a cost of roughly $12,000 per crew member. However, there is the opportunity for jumpers to edit, alter, and ultimately add to their collection of gear. Many Canadian jumpers are known to use motocross gear or hockey pads in order to help soften the blows associated with landing a parachute in deeply forested territory.<ref name=":2" />

American jumpsuits are fashioned using a blend of Kevlar and [[Nomex]] and serve similar functions to Canadian suits. These suits are crafted by the smokejumpers themselves using sewing supplies housed at each base. With only 400 suits needed yearly, it is not feasible to have them manufactured offshore or en masse. Just as with Canadian jumpers, Americans use hockey gear, motocross pads, and ski helmets to round out their kit. Each jumper dons roughly {{cvt|85|lb}} of gear for a single jump.<ref name=":3" />

=== Survival gear ===
A significant portion of initial attack jumps take multiple days to control.<ref name=":1" /> On account of this, the payload deposited by aircraft include survival gear such as dried fruit, canned soup and beef [[jerky]]. Crews are equipped with shelters for sleep and sleeping bags.<ref name=":3" />

==Safety record==

Despite the seemingly dangerous nature of the job, fatalities from jumping are infrequent, the best-known fatalities in the United States being those that occurred at the [[Mann Gulch fire]] in 1949 and the [[South Canyon Fire]] in 1994.

The Smokejumper Parachute Landing Injury Database and eSafety are the two databases used to record and collect data regarding smokejumper injuries in the United States. Serious and minor injuries are logged in this database depending on the many factors. Serious injuries are categorized as:

* Requiring hospitalization for greater than 48 hours,
* Bone fractures (excluding finger and toes),
* Severe hemorrhaging,
* Severe nerve, muscle or tendon damage,
* Burns covering more than 5% of the body
* Second and third degree burns

According to the 2020 National Smokejumper Program End of Year Summary published by the [[United States Forest Service|USFS]], an American smokejumper in 2020 had a 99.75% chance of landing free of injury. This is attributed to the rigorous registry of injuries in the past 28 years, when these databases were created. By documenting the rate, severity, and cause of each incident, the USFS has been able to eliminate hazards and create better training.<ref name=":1" />

Jump injuries are infrequent. The [[National Interagency Fire Center]] (NIFC) states injuries occur once for every 909 jumps - a rate of 0.11%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United States Forest Service Smokejumper National User Guide |url=https://www.hsdl.org/c/view?docid=786001#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20injury%20rate,or%201%20per%20909%20jumps.}}</ref> Smokejumper personnel take deliberate precautions before deciding whether to jump a particular fire. Multiple factors are analyzed, and then a decision is made as to whether jumping the fire is safe. Bases tend to look for highly motivated individuals who are in superior shape and have the ability to think independently and react to changing environments rapidly.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-14 |title=For some remote Canadian wildfires, best and fastest option is sending in the smokejumpers |url=https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-smoke-firefighters-smokejumpers-climate-ed33e70c86756119f631538becc9da29 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Many smokejumpers have previous experience as [[Hotshot crew|hotshots]], who provide a strong foundation of wildland firefighting experience and physical conditioning.

==Recruitment==
Prior to employment as a smokejumper in the United states, applicants are required to have one year of wildland firefighting experience as a minimum. It is said that competitive applicants range closer to three years of experience.<ref name=":3" /> Canadian recruitment errs towards a minimum of two years of prior wildland firefighting experience, with a preferred six to seven years.<ref name=":2" />

=== Team members ===
In order to execute a single jump, the number of smokejumpers involved may vary from fire to fire and from country to country. However, in each case teams require multiple jumpers, two spotters, jumpers-in-command, and two pilots'. Spotters are specialized smokejumpers who make decisions prior to the jump. They assess fires from the air, determine the approximate landing site, and use paper streamers - dropped from the plane hatch - to measure wind speed. Jumpers-in-command are the initial jumpers. In a pair, they reach land first and report via radio the conditions of the landing site and authorize the secondary jump for remaining smokejumpers.<ref name=":3" />

=== Physical fitness ===
The minimum required physical fitness standards for smokejumpers set by the [[National Wildfire Coordinating Group]] are: packout {{cvt|110|lb}} for {{cvt|3|mi}} within 90 minutes; run {{cvt|1.5|mi}} in 11 minutes; 25 push-ups in 60 seconds; 45 sit-ups in 60 seconds; and seven pull-ups.<ref name="pms304-2">{{cite book |author1=Brian J. Sharkey, Ph.D. |author2=Steven E. Gaskill, Ph.D. |title=Fitness and Work Capacity |publisher=National Wildfire Coordinating Group |location=National Interagency Fire Center, Boise, I D. |page=27 |edition=2009 |url=https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pms304-2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719234053/https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pms304-2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 19, 2018 |chapter=Ch. 6 |quote=Smokejumpers: Pack Test: Req.; 3-Mile Packout Weight: Rec-110; 1.5-Mile Run time: Rec-11:00; 10 RM Leg Press: 2.5xBW; 10 RM Bench Press: 1.0xBW; Pullups: 7; Pushups: 25; Situps 45 }}</ref>

==In popular culture (chronological)==
*The 1952 film ''[[Red Skies of Montana]]'' is loosely based on the Mann Gulch fire
*Smokejumpers are featured in the 1985 novel ''Wildfire'' by [[Richard Martin Stern]]
*The 1996 film ''Smoke Jumpers'' is loosely based on  Don Mackey's life. Mackey was a smokejumper and one of the 14 fatalities of the 1994 South Canyon fire. In the movie, he pursues job-related accolades while his marriage disintegrates.<ref>{{Citation |last=Lowry |first=Dick |title=Smoke Jumpers |date=1996-02-11 |type=Action, Drama |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117671/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |others=Adam Baldwin, Lindsay Frost, Timothy Carhart |publisher=Patchett Kaufman Entertainment, World International Network (WIN)}}</ref>
*In the 2002 made-for-television movie ''[[SuperFire (film)|SuperFire]]'', a disgraced pilot joins a group of smokejumpers as they attempt to save a town from a raging wildfire.<ref>{{Citation |last=Quale |first=Steven |title=Superfire |date=2002-04-20 |type=Action, Thriller |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303110/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |others=D. B. Sweeney, Diane Farr, Chad Donella |publisher=American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Epsilon TV Production, KirchMedia}}</ref> This film is recognised for its inaccurate description of smokejumper practices.
*In the television show ''[[Entourage (American TV series)|Entourage]]'', [[Vincent Chase]] lands a lead role in an action film called ''Smokejumpers'' in an episode airing in 2008.<ref>{{Citation |last=Mylod |first=Mark |title=Play'n with Fire |date=2008-11-16 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1280585/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |series=Entourage |others=Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon}}</ref>
*Smokejumpers are described in Philip Connor's 2011 book ''Fire Season''.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013f0xk#synopsis BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, Fire Season, Episode 1<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  
*Author Nora Roberts's 2011 novel ''Chasing Fire'' details the lives and loves of a group of smokejumpers at Missoula Smokejumper Base.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/307294/chasing-fire-by-nora-roberts/9780593637777 |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Penguin Random House Canada |language=English}}</ref>
*Author [[M. L. Buchman|M. L. Buchman's]] ''Firehawks Smokejumpers Trilogy,'' published in 2014 and 2015'','' follows a team of fictitious Oregon-based smokejumpers.
*The 2019 American family comedy film ''[[Playing with Fire (2019 film)|Playing with Fire]]'' follows a group of smokejumpers who must watch over three children who have been separated from their parents following an accident. The film stars John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Brianna Hildebrand, Dennis Haysbert, and Judy Greer.<ref>{{Citation|title=Playing with Fire|date=8 November 2019|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt9134216/|access-date=2020-02-06}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Wildland fire module]]
*[[Helitack]]
*[[National Smokejumper Association]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{commons cat|Smokejumpers}}
* [http://gacc.nifc.gov/oncc/logistics/crews/smokejumpers/index.html California Smokejumpers Official Site.]
* [http://www.smokejumpers.com National Smokejumper Association (USA)], including [http://www.smokejumpers.com/history/index.php history]
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/aviation/av_library/sj_guide/index.html US Forest Service - National Interagency Smokejumper Training Guide], including [http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/aviation/av_library/sj_guide/02_LESSON_PLAN_HISTORY.pdf history (in PDF format)]
* [http://civilianpublicservice.org/camps/103/1 CPS Unit Number 103-01, World War II Smokejumpers]
* [http://www.bucktrack.com/Smokejumping.html Smokejumpers and Smokejumping: Information and Photos]
* [http://www.spotfireimages.com/ Spotfire Images: Quality Smokejumper and Fire Photos].
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/6753780/Earl-Cooley.html Earl Cooley] - Daily Telegraph obituary
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/people/smokejumpers/bases.html US Forest Service list of smokejumper bases]
* [https://scholarworks.umt.edu/nicksundtsmokejumpers_oralhistory/ Nick Sundt Smokejumpers Oral History Project] (University of Montana Archives)
* [https://scholarworks.umt.edu/civilianpublicservicesmokejumpers_oralhistory/ Civilian Public Service Smokejumpers Oral History Project] (University of Montana Archives)

{{Fire fighting}}
{{Forestry}}

[[Category:Forestry occupations]]
[[Category:Parachuting]]
[[Category:Wildfire suppression]]
[[Category:Aerial firefighting]]
[[Category:Firefighting in the United States]]