Smokejumpers, also spelled smoke jumpers, employed in California make an
average annual salary of $62,285
, which equals about $30/hour. Entry-level smokejumpers can expect to make approximately $45,495/year, while senior-level smoker jumpers earn approximately $76,290/year.
Do smokejumpers work all year?
Most smokejumpers are temporary or seasonal employees that work the fire season from April through October.
A few, mainly supervisors, have permanent extended or full-time status and work year-round
on equipment, training, prescribed fire, and administration.
Do smokejumpers make more than firefighters?
The state of California, for instance, employs wildland firefighters who work on the ground only and earn
less than federal smokejumpers
. “Our entry-level firefighters make minimum wage, $10 an hour,” said Mike Lopez, the union president representing the firefighters of Cal Fire, the state’s fire department.
How much do smokejumpers make in California?
An entry level smoke jumper (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of $46,777
. On the other end, a senior level smoke jumper (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of $78,440.
What is a hotshot firefighter?
A hotshot crew consists of
20 specially-trained firefighters
. They provide an organized, mobile, and skilled workforce for all phases of wildland fire management. Hotshot crews receive top-notch training, adhere to high physical standards, and have the ability to take on difficult assignments.
Are smokejumpers hotshots?
Hotshots and Smokejumpers are elite firefighters both battling wildfires before it spreads far enough to pose a threat
. However, Mallia said there is a difference. “The biggest difference is just the way we’re delivered to the fire. So Smokejumpers are delivered aerial.
How do smoke jumpers fight fire?
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.
Why are smokejumpers called to put out a fire?
Why are smokejumpers called to put out a fire?
It is easier for them to put out a fire
. It is safer for them to fight a fire.
What do smoke jumpers do?
Smokejumpers are experienced wildland firefighters who
fly to fires via airplane and parachute as closely as they can to a fire
. Smokejumpers can get to remote fires safely and quickly, helping keep high-risk fires small.
Is it hard to become a smokejumper?
Are you physically fit? Wildland firefighters train hard, but
smokejumpers train harder
. Keep in mind that an entry-level smokejumper job is not an entry-level firefighting job, and the U.S. Forest Service physical fitness requirements are intense.
How many hours do smokejumpers work?
They organize on a dime, remain completely self-sufficient for
up to 72 hours
, create access points for other arriving forces and provide seasoned leadership for assembling crews.
How many days do smokejumpers work?
Most wildfires are completely extinguished within
two to three days
. But assignments can last as long as 14 days. Regardless of the amount of time devoted to a particular fire, before they leave a designated area the smokejumpers must check for hot spots.
How much do hotshot firefighters make in California?
| Annual Salary Hourly Wage | Top Earners $120,430 $58 | 75th Percentile $51,121 $25 | Average $49,425 $24 | 25th Percentile $26,543 $13 |
|---|
How do you become a wildland firefighter?
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
- Males born after 12/31/59 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Must meet Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) qualifications.
- Position requires a Work Capacity Test (WCT)
- Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
How many female smokejumpers are there?
Of those in fire, 18 percent were women. Among firefighters, particularly the high-level hotshot and smokejumping teams, the ratio is much lower. The agency’s 11 hotshot crews employ one to three women on a typical 20-person team, and this year there are
three female smokejumpers of 140 nationwide
.
How much money do hotshots make?
A well run hotshot trucker in a reasonable location for regular loads can bring in from
$60,000 to $120,000 gross income per year
, possibly more. Most hotshot’s expenses—fuel, maintenance, insurance, licenses and fees, tolls, etc. —are approximately half of gross income.
Where do hotshots live?
The 19 firefighters who lost their lives battling a raging wildfire in central Arizona on Sunday were members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew of U.S. wildfire firefighters based in
Prescott, Arizona
.
How many hotshots are there?
As of 2018 there are
113
hotshot crews across the nation.
Where was smokejumpers filmed?
Two film crews from Disney Studios descended on the agency’s
Redding Smokejumper Base in northern California
the first week of May. They were there to interview and take video footage of the Forest Service’s firefighters in advance of the movie’s release in July.
Where are smokejumper bases?
- Grangeville, Idaho.
- McCall, Idaho.
- Missoula, Montana.
- Redding, California.
- Redmond, Oregon.
- West Yellowstone, Montana.
- Winthrop, Washington.
What is the difference between a smokejumper and a hotshot?
Smokejumpers.
While Hotshots hike up to battle remote wildfires on foot, Smokejumpers parachute in
. These elite wildland firefighters are most often deployed to battle wildfires in extremely remote areas, before the flames spread far enough to pose a threat.
What countries have smokejumpers?
The United States isn’t the only country that uses smokejumpers. Smokejumpers are also used by the
Russian Federation, Mongolia, and Canada
. In fact, the Russian Federation employs more smokejumpers (several thousand) than any other country.
How many smokejumpers are there in the world?
Smokejumpers load up into fixed-wing aircraft and dive into the hot zone. It’s quite possibly the most elite, specialized job in the entire fire service. And as a result, there’s only
about 270
of them in active duty.
Who looks for fires and decides where the jumpers will go?
Smokejumper crews
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.
Who were the first smoke jumpers?
Smokejumping was born on the Nez Perce National Forest. It was on the Nez Perce National Forests’s Moose Creek Ranger District that
Rufus Robinson of Kooskia, Idaho and Earl Cooley, of Hamilton, Montana
, made the nation’s first “live” fire jump, at the Martin Creek Fire on July 12, 1940.
