Rookie smokejumpers must learn how to clench a double helix of adrenaline and toil without losing their grip on a dozen life-and-death decisions. They must also master the art of sewing –- smokejumpers tailor their own outerwear.

Their training is designed to minimize the risks inherent in the job, but of course, all the training in the world can’t erase the risks of dropping out of airplanes and landing next to wildfires.

“It’s really easy for folks to say ‘Look if you just follow these rules you won’t ever get hurt,’” says Romero. “That’s how media and non-firefighters view them.”

Read on as new recruits test their mettle at McCall and learn the skills required to sky-dive into an active fire.

Top photo: The not-fun part of practicing a parachute landing: getting dropped from “The Mutilator.”

Second photo: Lane Lamoreaux, 27, of Flagstaff, Arizona, is a second-year smokejumper at the McCall base and a former United States Marine.

Authors: Matthew Shechmeister

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