Jumping out of a plane to fight a fire sounds like a military response.
Funny you should mention it: the practice of smokejumping did, in fact, begin in the shadow of World War II.
The war ended long ago, but the practice did not.
Sometimes the best way to fight a fire in a remote area is by dropping people and equipment from a plane (with parachutes). The Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum near Cave Junction lays out the history of smokejumpers. Museum President Gary Buck joins us with stories of past and present.
