The Missoula Smokejumper Base was a busy place this morning. Smokejumpers are on an accelerated training schedule to take advantage of good weather before the fire season starts in earnest.
Smokejumping teams are deployed to extremely remote fires. They parachute in, do their work and then make their way out of rugged terrain.
It’s backbreaking and dangerous work. That risk is somewhat mitigated by a training program that’s been refined and honed to a science over the past several decades.
Edward O’Brien has more on today’s training session:
