The National Smokejumper Quarterly Magazine Save a Billion $$ A Year—The New Fire Association January 2020 Triangle ............................ 5 Smoke from Wildland Fires: Impacts to Public Health .................. 25 Smokejumper Folklore: ‘You Know You’re Smokejumper a Smokejumper If …’ ...... 40 CONTENTS Message from Message from the President ....................................2 Save a Billion $$ A Year—The New Fire Triangle ....5 the President Guest Opinion: Defensible Space, A Catch-22........12 No Available Resources—It’s Time to Review tory and lore of smokejumping, Biscuit Fire ....................................................15 maintaining and restoring our On the Road to a National Wildfire Agency, Part 1.............................................................18 nation’s forest and rangeland Odds and Ends .....................................................21 resources, and responding to spe- Oregon Wildfire Response ....................................23 cial needs of smokejumpers and Smoke from Wildland Fires: Impacts to Public their families.” Health ............................................................25 The last few issues of Hey—Anyone Awake Out There? ..........................27 Smokejumper have included If It Could Go Wrong, It Did ..................................28 articles about how the num- Blast from the Past................................................29 ber, size, and intensity of fires Some Observations on Firefighting in the 21st have increased over the last Century—Let’s Not Nitpick Assumptions Here ..............................................................30 by Bob McKean few decades. Mega fires are Sounding Off from the Editor ................................31 (Missoula ’67) now a regular occurrence with Hawaii’s Medical-Aid-In-Dying Law Eases President commensurate devastation of Former Jumper’s Anxiety................................32 I am drawn to wild places. To resources, property and life. As Off the List ...........................................................34 be there refreshes my soul! One climate changes, one can only 2019 NSA Scholarship Recipients .........................37 of our common experiences as guess what these fires may be Smokejumper Folklore: ‘You Know You’re a Smokejumper If …’ ......................................40 smokejumpers is that we were/ like and how they will impact Anthology of a Reluctant Warrior ..........................42 are privileged to see so many our children and theirs. Mann Gulch 70th Anniversary ................................44 of our nation’s wild and natural Heretofore, your Board The Real Cost of Wildfires .....................................45 places! I continue to have vivid has taken no formal position memories of places I visited regarding the management of as a jumper: Glacier and Yel- these fires and associated issues lowstone Parks, the Gila, the of fuels and forest manage- Brooks Range, the North Cas- ment, fire suppression, roles cades, the Bob Marshall, the and responsibilities in the Bitteroots, and the Salmon Riv- wildland-urban interface, et er country, to name but a few. al. As your president, I have SMOKEJUMPER, Issue No. 107, January 2020 ISSN 1532-6160 My youth has long since posed questions regarding Smokejumper is published quarterly by: passed, but I am blessed with these issues, attempting to The National Smokejumper Association life-long smokejumper friends evoke responses in the form of c/o 10 Judy Lane Chico, CA 95926 who encourage me to go on articles for Smokejumper from The opinions of the writers are their own and do NSA trail projects or float trips others with expertise, since my not necessarily reflect those of the NSA. Permis- sion to reproduce Smokejumper in any manner to some of those same places. own is limited in these areas. must first be obtained in writing. As your president, I am (See Message from the President NSA Website: http://www.smokejumpers.com also privileged to give back in the July and October issues Managing Editor: Chuck Sheley by working with the National of Smokejumper.) Associate Editor: Ed Booth Smokejumper Association That said, on the heels of Editing: K. G. Sheley (NSA) Board in support of the several fires in Montana in Photo Editor: Johnny Kirkley NSA mission. 2017 and the Carr and Camp Illustrators: Dan Veenendaal, and Eric Rajala “The National Smokejumper Fires in California in 2018, Layout/Printing: Larry S. Jackson, Heidelberg Graphics, www.HeidelbergGraphics.com Association, through a cadre of as well as the reality that the Front cover: Layout and design by Johnny volunteers and partnerships, is situation is likely to grow con- Kirkley (CJ–64) dedicated to preserving the his- siderably worse in the future, Check the NSA website 2 National Smokejumper Reunion there seems a groundswell from Board members encouraged to weigh in on matters. Diversity of to consider if the NSA should attempt to add a opinion is important and makes us think in ways constructive voice to the conversation. To this we may not have considered. end, Board members requested an opportunity to If the Board chooses to weigh in on specific explore this question at the NSA Board meeting issues on behalf of the NSA, it should do so on October 15, 2019. prudently. This is especially important if we want I believe advocacy is appropriate for NSA. It to represent our membership and be taken seri- is consistent with our mission of maintaining and ously. To this end, my view is that any positions restoring our nation’s forest and rangeland resources. taken by the NSA are likely best if they are from Several years ago when the Forest Service was the perspective of advocating for means to help contemplating the transition to square canopies, those involved (Forest Service, BLM, Park Service, there were a couple of articles in Smokejumper and other wildland firefighting entities, or units written by individuals questioning the wisdom within) to be more effective. Further, they should of the change. At its subsequent meeting, the reflect science and/or best practice as established Board received a visit from a high-ranking Forest by experts. (The NSA has access to numerous Service official who came to discuss the matter; experts who may assist us with this.) his appearance on the heels of these articles was a In any event, by the time you receive this issue message in its own right. One comment he made, of Smokejumper, the Board will have had an initial that particularly resonated with me, was essentially discussion about this—so stay tuned. this, “You (NSA/smokejumpers) have earned the In other news… right to a voice. Use it wisely!” Workforce Capacity Study Of course individual members are always The National Association of Forest Service Re- tirees recently published a study entitled, Sustaining the Forest Service: Increasing the Workforce Capac- NSA Members—Save ity to Increase the Pace and Scale of Restoration on This Information National Forest Service Lands (July 25, 2019). The Please contact the following persons directly if NSA Board will be reviewing this document at its you have business or questions: meeting. Conclusions and Recommendations from Smokejumper magazine the report follow: Articles, obits, change of address Hire, train and mentor employees with the skill Chuck Sheley sets necessary to increase the pace and scale of forest 530-893-0436/ [email protected] restoration. Change the overall workforce composition. 10 Judy Ln. Take immediate action to revamp the hiring process, Chico, CA 95926 streamlining procedures, removing all roadblocks and Membership John McDaniel restoring connections with field units. It takes far too 785-404-2847/ [email protected] long to recruit and hire skilled employees. 807 Eileen Ln. Eliminate administrative burdens that currently Salina, KS 67401-2878 take valuable time from personnel charged with man- All else aging programs in the field and achieving results on NSA President the ground. Increase funding to hire new employees, Bob McKean contract work and enter into partnerships needed to 503-762-6337/ [email protected] increase the pace and scale of forest restoration. 14013 SE Eastridge St Delegate authority to field units that currently have Portland OR 97236 responsibility for results, but not the commensurate Smokejumper base abbreviations: authorities. Anchorage .......... ANC Grangeville ........ GAC Redding .............RDD Implement all actions previously suggested by NAF- Boise ................. NIFC Idaho City .......... IDC Redmond ............RAC Cave Junction ........ CJ La Grande .......... LGD West Yellowstone WYS SR including regulatory and administrative reforms Fairbanks ............ FBX McCall ...............MYC Whitehorse Yukon YXY and the 2021 budget initiative. Success can only be Fort St. John ........ YXJ Missoula ............MSO Winthrop ......... NCSB achieved through comprehensive reform. June 26-28, 2020 in Boise 3 www.smokejumpers.com Cheto Bar Fire & Meyers/Whetstone Fire Photos: NSA File Chetco Bar Fire • 191,090 Acres, $61 Million Meyers/Whetstone Fire • 62,034 Acres, $32.5 Million Kirkley (CJ-64) Johnny Design: Layout Check the NSA website 4 National Smokejumper Reunion Save A Billion $$ A Year—The New Fire Triangle by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction ’59) Introduction save a billion dollars a year in the expense of fighting wildfire. The thread that I am e all know that wildfire is using is common sense—what would moving toward becoming you, a reader, do if presented with a Wa national