Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
Crooked River National Grassland

The Redmond Smokejumper Base is one of two Pacific Northwest Regional bases for smokejumpers. Since the Redmond Air Center opened in 1964, the Smokejumpers have made over 11,000 fire jumps into 2,800 wildland fires for an average of 350 fire jumps each year.

Smokejumping is a Federal Interagency firefighting program devoted to wildland fire suppression and other woods work. Parachuting firefighters into timbered, mountainous terrain began in 1939. Smokejumpers specialize in remote fires, parachuting into areas where access would otherwise be difficult and slow. Rapid deliveries of competent and self-sufficient firefighters make the smokejumper operation a definite asset to forest and land managers.

Generally, smokejumpers are used for Initial Attack. A typical planeload (or more) of 10 smokejumpers is on alert for fire assignment at a moments notice. Once on a fire, smokejumpers will typically work an incident from size-up through mop-up, and then pack themselves and equipment to the nearest road or trailhead to be picked up and transported back to base.

Smokejumpers are a National Shared Resource and often experience periods of extensive travel throughout the western United States and Alaska during the fire season. Smokejumpers often experience long shifts of hard, dirty work under extremely arduous conditions.

Normally 35 smokejumpers are based at Redmond serving Central and Eastern Oregon. Redmond will provide "booster" crews to other bases outside of this area if requested and the fire activity in the area allows. During times of high fire activity in the area Redmond will request "booster" crews to be stationed at the base to help with the fire activity.

All new smokejumpers receive intensive 4-week training, which includes, but is not limited to, rigorous physical conditioning, aircraft exit and ground landing practice, parachuting, and let-down training when caught in trees. Emergency medical training is also an important aspect.

Most trainees have no parachuting background, although they must have had previous firefighting experience to be accepted. More information on becoming a smokejumper can be obtained from the Smokejumper Base at the Redmond Air Center or by clicking on the link below.

Paracargo is loaded into the Shorts Sherpa after a mission flight. The Sherpa is kept loaded with enough paracargo to supply 12 smokejumpers working up to six fires.

Smokejumper Ready Room. Jumpsuits hang ready for jumpers to suit up quickly when an order is received.

Links:

Redmond Smokejumpers Web Page

USDA Forest Service - Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
Last Modified: Monday, 24 October 2005 at 16:35:34 EDT