History of Smokejumping

The first fire jump in the Northern Region was June 6, in the Nezperce National Forest of Idaho. From July 15 on, action was continuous but no large fire busts occurred until the latter part of August. The last fire jump for the season was October 2 on the Kootenai.

The Grangeville, Idaho, subbase was activated with 17 jumpers the first part of July. The West Yellowstone base, with 12 jumpers, was put in operation in mid-June.

As in previous years, 12 Northern Region jumpers were stationed at Silver City, New Mexico; and 25 jumpers were stationed with the Bureau of Land Management at Fairbanks, Alaska. Additional jumpers were dispatched from Missoula to assist these bases during bust periods.

During the peak of Region 6's extreme fire emergency, 111 Northern Region smokejumpers were on duty in Washington and Oregon. During this period, 397 jumps were made to 137 fires in Region 6. Seventy-eight jumpers were dispatched as organized crews to the Safety Harbor Fire at Wenatchee. Northern Region smokejumpers accumulated 20,832 man-hours in Region 6 during this fire emergency.

The 1970 total for all fire assignments was 1,354 jumps to 439 fires. Ground action consisted of dispatching 324 jumpers to 24 fires. One hundred thirty jumpers were dispatched as organized crews to 7 fires in the Northern Region. On all fire assignments, smokejumpers logged 62,753 man-hours.

The kitchen at the Aerial Fire Depot was changed from contract meals to Government-operated. Large numbers of transient fire crews were fed daily during the going fire season. As many as 800 meals were served in 1 day.

Due to a cut in financing, the number of smokejumpers was cut from a total of 190 to 170 jumpers. Only 20 new smokejumpers were trained. This was an alltime low for new trainees.

Hank Viche retired as Northern Region Air Officer. Bob Robertson, Regional fire coordinator, was promoted to this position. Chuck Kern was transferred from the Gallatin as the new fire coordinator. Dwight Smith, smokejumper foreman, resigned to go into private business.

Additional T-10 parachutes were put into service. The present 5A's may be phased out on a replacement program. The Northern Region will continue evaluation of the T-10 during the 1971 season. The "French Cross" cargo chute was used on an experimental basis with good results, and it was proposed to build additional chutes in the loft during the winter months.

The jumper base in Region 5, at Redding, California, experienced a fatality during a fire jump. This was the first fatality in actual jumping in smokejumping history.

The Washington office produced a training film in Regions 1 and 6 entitled "Crew Boss." Len Krout, supervisory fire technician from the Northern Region Parachute Project, was the star.

At the Missoula Aerial Fire Depot, 1970 was a big year for visitors. Approximately 5,000 visitors toured the facilities.

Another first occurred when the smokejumpers formed a union under the auspices of the American Federation of Government Employees. Contract negotiations were carried out in the spring. Smokejumpers up to GS-10 were eligible to join. Much interest was portrayed in the movement.

The smokejumpers, for the first time since 1951, received time and a half for overtime.

Northern Region smokejumeprs made 1,094 jumps to 302 fires on all fire assignments and from all bases during the 1971 season. This accounted for 38,659 man-hours on jumper-type fires. Smokejumpers from other Regions made an additional 89 jumps while on detail to the Northern Region or to the Southwestern Region subbase at Silver City, New Mexico.

Use of smokejumpers as organized ground crews accelerated—690 smokejumpers were dispatched to 63 fires, both in and out of the Region, as ground-attack personnel for 22,413 man-hours on fire suppression work. The total man-hours charged to fire suppression was 62,072.

A temporary subbase was established at Lewistown, Montana, to aid the Bureau of Land Management during a rash of fires in that area. Smokejumpers were dispatched by parachute and as ground crews. A large volume of fire equipment and supplies was delivered by air. This new, cooperative interagency fire-suppression venture proved satisfactory.

Steve Clairmont and Bill Hicks served as crew bosses for the Northern Region's first all-girl fire suppression crew. The crew was used primarily for mopup work on the Bull River fire in the Kaniksu National Forest.

An infrared "mini-scanner" was installed on both Twin Beech aircraft at the Aerial Fire Depot. The scanner was used in locating small fires not smoking enough for visual detection. Two fires located by the scanner were manned by smokejumpers. A special wilderness fire pack of freeze-dried foods was designed to reduce the pack-out weight load in these roadless areas.

The Forest Service's Washington Office designated the T-10 parachute—the official parachute for smokejumping. The present stock of FS-5A's will be phased out.

Johnson Flying Service of Missoula, Montana, purchased a Lockheed Electra. It has 93 seats and cruises at 350 miles an hour. With the increased inter-Regional exchange of crews, this aircraft should prove very useful.

Earl Cooley, who made the first fire jump in July of 1940 with Rufus Robinson, transferred from the parachute project superintendent position to the Division of Fire Control as an equipment specialist. Leonard Krout was appointed acting superintendent until the position is filled. Harold Roberts, veteran smokejumper foreman, transferred to the Kootenai National Forest as forest dispatcher. Smokejumper Clifford Johnson drowned in the Bitterroot River while swimming during off-duty hours. Russell Kregar, smokejumper dormitory maintenance man, retired in March.

The King Aircraft was transferred, with its infrared equipment, to the Northern Region Aerial Fire Depot from the Northern Forest Fire Laboratory and was used in fire detecting in the western United States.

Emphasis on reducing the size of the Northern Region headquarters staff resulted in the Grangeville, Idaho, base being placed under the administration of the Nezperce National Forest and the West Yellowstone, Montana, base under the administration of the Gallatin National Forest. The Grangeville base was staffed with 17 smokejumpers, and West Yellowstone had 13 jumpers. The Missoula Aerial Fire Depot base was reduced to 125 active smokejumpers. Neil Walstad, Foreman, and Phil Pittman, Squadleader, were transferred to Grangeville. Barry Hicks, Foreman, and Bill Werhane, Squadleader, were transferred to West Yellowstone.

Reorganization of the Division of Fire Management resulted in other changes in the Parachute Project. Richard Baldwin was transferred to the Aerial Fire Depot as Complex Manager, with the Parachute Project, Air Operations, Fire Warehouse, and Regional Fire Coordinator under his jurisdiction. Len Krout was named Parachute Project Superintendent.

Northern Region smokejumpers made a total of 1,397 jumps on more than 400 fires in the five-State Region. Missoula-based jumpers made 1,222 jumps on 403 fires and worked a total of 39,244 fire suppression hours. Jumpers, assigned to the Missoula base from West Yellowstone and other bases in the Region, made an additional 39 jumps. From the Grangeville, Idaho, base, jumpers made 130 jumps on 63 fires, involving a total of 6,180 fire suppression hours. From West Yellowstone, jumpers made 33 jumps on 13 fires.

Ron Curtiss, Smokejumper Foreman, was transferred to the Canoe Gulch Ranger Station, Kootenai National Forest, as Fire Control Officer. Larry Nelsen was promoted to Chief Foreman at the Aerial Fire Depot, with responsibility for training and loft operations. Larry Eisenman was promoted to Training Officer. Foreman Frank Sanders headed up the annual detail to Silver City, New Mexico, in Region 3 and took a jump detail to Region 5 (California) in the fall. The crew detailed to Region 3 was in Silver City approximately 3 months, and the assignment in California lasted 2 months. Northern Region jumpers made 250 jumps in Region 3, 82 jumps in Region 5, and 139 jumps in Region 6 (Oregon and Washington). A total of 441 jumps were made in Alaska, for the Bureau of Land Management, by backup crews from Missoula. The Northern Region assigned 75 smokejumpers to Fairbanks, Alaska. Some of the jumpers were in Fairbanks as long as 38 days.

A total of 919 refresher and training jumps were made from the Missoula base.

The Missoula base added a DeHaviland Caribou plane under contract. With a 20-jumper capacity and tailgate dropping ability, the DeHaviland Caribou proved very satisfactory. Grangeville had a Twin Otter, and West Yellowstone a DC-3. Fixed-wing aircraft flew 9,669 hours, and helicopters 1,533 hours in all activities.

The Northern Region experienced one of the driest seasons on record, with 1,806 fires consuming approximately 30,000 acres at a cost of approximately $16 million. The first jumper action was May 16 on the Bitterroot National Forest. The fire season grew in intensity, reaching its peak in mid-August. It didn't subside until early September. Missoula's 125 smokejumpers proved their merit through this difficult period with an all-out response, attested to by an unprecedented number of complimentary letters from Forest Supervisors.

Missoula-based smokejumpers made a total of 1,386 jumps to 272 fires. Jumpers from outside the Region, including a contingent from the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska, made 111 of these jumps. The Aerial Fire Depot base in Missoula was out of jumpers on several occasions due to the heavy demand. Additional fires could have been manned had jumpers been available.

Practice jumps totaled 878 at Missoula; 19 new smokejumpers were trained at the Aerial Fire Depot.

Ground activity included 729 jumpers dispatched to 47 fires as organized crews and overhead. This was an alltime record. Smokejumpers worked a total of 60,481 fire suppression hours on all fire assignments. Len Krout, Aerial Fire Depot Project Superintendent, served on a Regional 1 top overhead team on three campaign fires, once as a fire boss.

Temporary subbases at Libby and Kalispell were highly successful. More temporary subbases are planned for the future. Grangeville-based jumpers made 119 jumps to 50 fires. Jumpers from the West Yellowstone base made 100 jumps to 39 fires. The Aerial Fire Depot was the hub of fire coordination and supply. The base operated 24 hours a day. The Regional Office Coordinating Organization was put into effect and many fire overhead and crews were recruited from outside the Region. Additional aircraft were called in to ferry crews, air freight fire overhead, and for use as air tankers. A total of 698,100 gallons of chemical fire retardant was flown out of the Missoula base for use on 139 fires. Approximately 30,000 meals were served by the kitchen at the Aerial Fire Depot. During the emergency period, the kitchen operated on a 24-hour basis.

Richard Baldwin, Aerial Fire Depot Complex Manager, retired; Bob Robertson was transferred to the position. Homer W. "Skip" Stratton, Fire Management Branch Chief in the Division of Fire Management, and former smokejumper retired.

Missoula Aerial Fire Depot smokejumper activity began on June 19 and ended October 31. It was a long season. August was one of the slowest on record with only 33 fire jumps from the Missoula base.

Northern Region jumpers made 303 jumps to 105 fires from the Silver City, New Mexico, base in the Southwestern Region. The Southwestern Region grand total was 346 jumps to 117 fires, the most active season since 1961. The Northern Region jumpers assigned to Alaska for the Bureau of Land Management had a normal season: 148 jumps to 81 fires. In addition, a crew was sent back to Fairbanks, Alaska, in early August for another 19 jumps to 7 fires.

The West Yellowstone, Montana, center experienced a record year. The Interagency Fire Control Center recorded 225 jumps to 44 fires. Of these jumps, 132 were made by Missoula smokejumpers. Missoula sent a total of 14 booster crews to the West Yellowstone center at critical peak periods. The Grangeville, Idaho, base made 100 jumps to 35 fires.

Missoula-based jumpers made a total of 1,306 jumps to 377 fires on all assignments for an average of 11.3 fire jumps per man. Ground activity involved 335 men on 39 fires. The Northern Region dropped the first fire line blasting team on a going fire this season. Donal "Bud" Clarke, smokejumper squadleader, lead the project on the Outlaw Fire near Roundtop in the St. Joe National Forest. The program was successful, and more fire line explosives action is expected in the future.

Missoula jumpers manned a fire out of a subbase in Vernal, Utah; a first. The Intermountain Region later manned the base for the remainder of the season.

Herb Oertli, Chief Dispatcher, and Al Hammond, both oldtime smokejumpers, retired. William R. "Bud" Moore, Director of Fire & Aviation Management for the Northern Region, retired in June and was replaced by Ed Heilman.

The Northern Region experienced one of the slowest fire seasons of record in 1975. The 577 fires consumed 592 acres.

Missoula smokejumpers made only 244 jumps to 88 fires throughout the West, accumulating 7,288 man-hours on fire. In addition, 294 men were dispatched to 18 ground fires for 15,342 man-hours. Forty-six of the fire jumps were made from the Missoula base to nine fires under the Northern Region protection. West Yellowstone, Montana, center smokejumpers made 47 jumps to 16 fires. The Grangeville, Idaho, jumpers made 54 jumps to 23 fires. The Northern Region crew, Silver City, New Mexico, made 68 jumps to 24 fires. A late crew dispatched there in August made an additional 45 jumps to 17 fires.

For the first time since 1959, the Missoula Aerial Fire Depot did not furnish a smokejumper contingent to the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. This assignment was jointly filled by Intermountain and California Region jumpers.

Twenty jumpers from the Missoula base were stationed in McCloud, Calif., from late August through October. They functioned as an interregional fire crew. They made 43 jumps to 17 fires from the smokejumper base at Redding, California. From the subbase established at Ashland, Montana, for the Custer National Forest, no jump action was taken, but two fires were manned, one by helicopter and the other by ground vehicle.

Because of the slow fire season, smokejumpers accomplished approximately 32,000 man-hours of project work for Northern Region National Forests.

A training cadre of smokejumper personnel was established at the Missoula Aerial Fire Depot to provide training courses and expertise to the Region's Forests and cooperation in fire and aviation management.

Earl Cooley, who made the first actual fire jump with Rufus Robinson in 1940, retired from the Regional Office, Fire and Aviation Management, in June.

The Northern Region experienced another slow fire season: 818 fires burned 2,526 acres. The season was well below the Regional average of 1,225 fires burning 5,500 acres.

Missoula-based smokejumpers made 518 jumps to 122 fires throughout the West. Much of 16,000 man-hours of ground action was from the Bureau of Land Management helitack subbase in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Jumpers from the Grangeville, Idaho, base made 40 jumps to 16 fires. Interagency Fire Control Center jumpers, West Yellowstone, Montana, made 132 jumps to 24 fires and participated in 1 rescue mission. The crew based in Silver City, New Mexico, made 172 jumps to 64 fires.

The fire season began early. Twelve jumpers were dispatched April 24, as a backup crew, to the smokejumper base at Tri-Cities, Tennessee. Due to a relatively light Northern Region fire season, much of the fire activity was out-of-Region. For the first time in history, Northern Region smokejumper ground crews were sent to Minnesota and Michigan.

The last fire of the season was November 12 in the Lolo National Forest.

Len Krout, veteran smokejumper and the Parachute Project Superintendent, retired in August.

Emphasis in training was "the man in the smoke." Training Cadre, composed directed to The Regional of some of the Aerial Fire Depot personnel, made a major contribution to the National training effort in preparation of the Service, Plans, Basic and Intermediate Air Operations, and Air Service Officer Training package.

The Regional Training Cadre, headed by Larry Eisenman, conducted 16 training courses (involving 507 participants) in fire behavior, sector boss, crew boss, basic air operations, helicopter manager, and Forest Air Officer. The Cadre also assisted in Guard School training and conducted individualized helitack and helicopter management courses so that Forest firemen could put on high-quality courses on their units.

Late in 1976, Larry Eisenman was selected as the Region's Parachute Project Superintendent.

The West experienced a severe drought in 1977. Most of the severe fire activity was in Oregon and California. Missoula dispatched backup crews to McCall, Idaho; Boise, Idaho; Redding, California; Cave Junction, Oregon; LaGrande, Oregon; Winthrop, Washington; Redmond, Oregon; Fairbanks, Alaska; West Yellowstone, Montana; and Grangeville, Idaho. Missoula jumpers established a subbase at Fresno, California. No fire action was taken; the crew later moved to Redding, California, for the severe fire period.

Northern Region jumpers made a total of 1,236 fire jumps to 371 fires for 34,000 man-hours on all assignments. Ground action was taken on 18 fires: 317 men; 10,000 man-hours. West Yellowstone jumpers made 71 jumps to 19 fires and participated in 6 rescue operations. Grangeville jumpers made 106 jumps to 41 fires. Northern Region smokejumpers at Silver City, New Mexico, made 148 jumps to 50 fires. Fire activity was about average in the Region. A total of 1,107 fires burned 7,880 acres. Dry lightning storms were few; smokejumper action was slow. The first fire action was April 25; the last fire was manned September 13.

The smokejumper training staff conducted 22 Fire and Aviation Management courses for 691 students. New firsts this year included courses for the Intermountain Region, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska, and the State of Minnesota. The training staff assisted with development of Sector Boss, Intermediate Air Operations, Camp Officer, Basic Business Management, and Ground Tanker Dispatcher courses.

Lowell Hanson was promoted to Training Officer, Bill Meadows to Air Operation Training Specialist, and Ron Pierce to Fire Training Specialist.

Fire and Aviation Management established a new Business Management organization at the Aerial Fire Depot. Bill Ward was named Administrative Officer.

Region 1 experienced a very light fire year in 1978 with 688 fires burning a total of 1,707 acres. Missoula-based smokejumpers made 262 jumps to 52 fires. West Yellowstone jumpers made 89 jumps to 22 fires, and Grangeville jumpers made 80 jumps to 28 fires. The Northern Region smokejumpers on detail to Region 3 in Silver City, New Mexico, made 130 jumps to 47 fires. A total of 28,500 hours accrued in all fire suppression activities.

The training cadre at the Aerial Fire Depot conducted 35 training sessions with 914 students in attendance.

In conjunction with the Missoula Equipment Development Center, Region 1 tested, evaluated, and approved the Beech King Aircraft for smokejumper and paracargo use.

Also, testing was done on the XP-5 parachute. This new canopy, designed by smokejumeprs, reduces the rate of descent and increases maneuverability. Hopefully, the XP-5 will lower the frequency of smokejumper accidents.

Region 1 smokejumpers were very active in 1979. The Region had a total of 1,784 fires which burned 12,663 acres. Missoula-based smokejumpers made 1,031 jumps to 147 fires. West Yellowstone jumpers made 122 jumps to 38 fires. Grangeville jumpers had their most active season on record, making 282 jumps to 106 fires. The Silver City, New Mexico, crew made 87 jumps to 27 fires. Over 65,000 hours accrued in fire suppression activities.

Development continued on the XP-5 parachute. It was tested 464 times (379 training and 85 fire). This parachute has proven to be an effective tool in reducing landing injuries through a reduced rate of descent. Expanded use is planned for the 1980 season.

The Aerial Fire Depot worked with the Missoula Equipment Development Center to evaluate a high-level paracargo delivery system. This system shows promising results and should be operational at least on a limited basis for 1980.

The training cadre at the Aerial Fire Depot trained 590 students in aviation and fire courses.

The following tabulation is based on recorded official jumps (training, fire, rescue) by the Forest Service smokejumpers throughout the United States.

Forest Service Aerial Fire Depot (1), 7 miles west of Missoula; Northern Forest Fire Laboratory (2); Smokejumper Dormitory (3); Visitor Center (4); Fire Depot warehouse (5); chemical faire retardant mixing plant (6); smokejumper training area (7); airplane taxi strip connecting to Missoula County Airport to left of picture (8); highway to Missoula (9); Burlington Northern mainline tracks (10).