How many smokejumpers are there 2021?
320 smokejumpers
As of 2021, there were only 320 smokejumpers working from seven USFS bases in the United States. (The BLM also has smokejumpers at two bases in Boise, Idaho and Fairbanks, Alaska.)
How much do smokejumpers make in a season?
The salaries of Smoke Jumpers in the US range from $23,010 to $79,490 , with a median salary of $46,870 . The middle 60% of Smoke Jumpers makes $46,870, with the top 80% making $79,490.
Do smokejumpers make good money?
A smokejumper earns around $16.00 per hour while a smokejumper foreman earns about $24.00 per hour. Smokejumpers are paid nothing extra for making parachute jumps; however, they do receive hazard pay equivalent to 25 percent of their base pay when working on an uncontrolled wildfire.
What is the average age of a smokejumper?
35
The average age of an American smokejumper is 35, while the average age of recruits is 22.
What states have smokejumpers?
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.
How hard is it to become a smokejumper?
All smokejumper candidates are required to pass the standard smokejumper physical training (PT) test on the first day of smokejumper training. Candidates must do 7 pull-ups, 45 sit-ups, 25 push-ups, and a 1.5 mile run in less than 11 minutes (McCall’s elevation is 5000′).
Do they still use smoke jumpers?
As of August, 2021, nine smokejumper crews operate in the United States. Seven are operated by the United States Forest Service (USFS), and two are operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Operated by the United States Forest Service: Northwest – the Redmond Smokejumpers in Redmond, Oregon.
What do smoke jumpers do?
Their primary mission is fire suppression and with the speed, range, and capacity of their fixed-wing aircraft, smokejumpers are capable of quickly delivering as few as two or as many as 12 firefighters with equipment and supplies, directly to the fire in a single trip.
What are the physical requirements to be a smokejumper?
The BLM Smokejumpers have established target standards based off of the BLM Fitness Challenge: Run 1.5 miles in 9:30 or run 3 miles in 22:30. 10 pull-ups. 60 sit-ups….Physical Training Requirements
- Run 1.5 miles in 10:47 minutes or less.
- 6 pull-ups.
- 30 push-ups.
- Pack 110 pounds on level terrain in 65 minutes or less.
How many smoke jumpers are there?
How many smokejumpers have died?
This information is a tribute to the more than 5,000 men and women who have served our nation as smokejumpers since the start of the program in 1939. These are the accounts of the lives and deaths of the more than 30 smokejumpers who have been killed in the line of duty.
Why do smokejumpers create a firebreak?
To stop a fire when there are no fire hydrants or firetrucks to supply water, smokejumpers create a “firebreak”—a zone that interrupts the fire’s fuel source—by felling trees, cutting brush, and digging long trenches in the ground ahead of the direction the fire is traveling.