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Smokejumping Into History

Forest Service/Public Domain

The idea of jumping out of a plane to fight a forest fire sounds hazardous (it is), but it has a long history. 

Long enough to be commemorated in a museum. 

The Siskiyou Smokejumper Base in Cave Junction operated for decades, closing in 1980. 

Now it's a museum, restored to its 1950 appearance, with additional protections from the federal government. 

Museum president Gary Buck joins us.

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Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.