Smokejumper: A Memoir by One of America's Most Select Airborne Firefighters

Smokejumper is a memoir by Jason A. Ramos, an active-duty member of America's smokejumper corps. The book provides an insider's account of smokejumpers—airborne firefighters who parachute into remote and rugged areas to combat wildfires. Wildland fires are increasing in size, frequency, and severity due to record drought conditions, decades of forestry mismanagement, and residential expansion into wilderness areas. Smokejumpers, operating through the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, form a key part of the nation's wildfire defense. The program accepts only highly experienced wildland firefighters, though smokejumping remains a skill learned primarily through on-the-job experience. Fires behave unpredictably—spreading rapidly, moving downhill with tailwinds, or flowing like liquid. Ramos explores the history of smokejumping and describes the exhilarating and dangerous realities of the work, offering a rare firsthand perspective on this specialized profession.