The daring life of a smokejumper
Training for this elite group of parachuting firefighters is just as grueling as you'd imagine


published

(Image credit: (REUTERS/Gene Blevins)It takes fuel, oxygen, and heat to start a wildfire. After that, topography — the slope of a mountain, for example — as well as weather and more fuel spread the flames,)

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder)It's a dirty, grueling, and dangerous job that can require months of travel all over the country. To even be considered, smokejumpers first have to meet strict requiremen)

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))

(Image credit: (REUTERS/David Ryder))
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jackie Friedman is the assistant photo editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the photojournalism program at Kent State University and now lives in New York.
-
Crisis? What crisis? How Lionesses made the Euros final against the odds
Amid injuries and questions about form, England's women are one step away from glory
-
What the Renters' Rights Bill means for landlords and tenants
The Explainer Reforms will give tenants more protection from eviction – but may result in rent increases
-
How potatoes became an 'unusual bellwether' in Russia's economy
Under The Radarp Spud shortages are pointing to a wider crisis in the nation's finances