REDMOND — Garrett Allen puts out wildfires for a living, working with axes, chainsaws and other tools to stop the spread of fire before they can become a raging inferno.

That may sound like the job description for any wildland firefighter, but what makes Allen’s job unique is his method of getting to a fire. Instead of trekking for hours through forests, he bails out of an airplane at 3,000 feet.

Allen is part of an elite crew of around 40 wildfire first responders — smokejumpers. Within minutes of the first smoke plumes wafting into the sky, smokejumpers can be airborne and headed for a fire. They are often the only ones on the scene, using tools to stop the spread of a fire that could reach uncontrollable levels if left alone.

It’s a job that requires excellent physical condition and experience fighting wildfires. For many smokejumpers, the mental toll can be just as taxing as the physical aspects of the job.

“Every once in a while you’ll get hit with a really hard day,” Allen said. “It can be physically strenuous or mentally strenuous and once in a while, you’ll get both in one day.”

Like other jobs involving emergencies and crisis, one day can be entirely different from the last and it can be impossible to predict where one might end the day. The origin is easier to pinpoint. Oregon smokejumpers get their day going at the Redmond Smokejumper Base, the only such facility in the state.

‘Ready Room’

The base, one of seven nationwide facilities run by the U.S. Forest Service, is usually a quiet facility where smokejumpers keep busy repairing and making equipment for use on a fire.

All that stops with a dispatch siren, alerting staff to drop whatever they are doing and head to the “Ready Room” where they suit up for a flight to a fire. Around 90 pounds of jump gear are assembled and a buddy check ensures that everyone has what’s needed before departure. They’ve got three minutes to be on the tarmac.

Not everyone gets on the plane. The aircraft used in Redmond only has enough room for 10 jumpers, pilots, a spotter and equipment. The payload maxes out at 2,600 pounds. The remaining smokejumpers wait on base for another fire.

On the flight, the spotter communicates the situation on the ground with the Redmond base. The size and location of the fire are discussed, as well as the topography and resources needed.

The smokejumpers sit shoulder to shoulder and word about the fire they are headed to gets passed down the line as they gather intel from the spotter. It could be a single tree burning or a huge wall of flames. No one really knows what’s coming but it’s the not knowing that builds adrenaline.

“We’re discussing jump spots, fire activity, winds, all those sorts of things that are going to make for a successful jump,” Allen said.

Bailing out

Smokejumpers try to land as close as possible to a fire while maintaining a safe distance. The spot needs to be accessible to medevacs in case something goes awry for one of the smokejumpers.

“The first time it was scary, no doubt,” Allen said. “Gradually, it got a lot easier. The more you do it, it becomes second nature.”

The smokejumpers are on the ground within two minutes of leaving the aircraft. Trees are an obvious obstacle. Smokejumpers are trained to rappel out of a tree with specialized equipment if they get hung up in one. They must also climb back up the tree at some point to retrieve their parachute.

Boxes with food, water, camping gear and survival equipment are also parachuted out of the aircraft. The smokejumpers have enough drinking water for 48 hours and will be resupplied if needed. Equipment and parachutes eventually need to be carried out of the forest.

Head for the fire

Once on the ground, smokejumpers open up the boxes, take what they need to fight the fire and then leave the rest under a waterproof covering. Up to 24 hours may pass before they return to their stashed supply.

In a typical scenario, reaching the wildfire from the landing spot requires a 15- to 30-minute walk.

The main tool at their disposal is called a pulaski, which combines an axe and adze into one head. Cross-cut saws and chainsaws, plus fuel, are also part of the kit that is dropped by parachute. A usual attack method is to flank the fire, using the pulaski to create a fire break. Trees, logs and brush are chopped and a fire line is dug to halt forward progress of the blaze.

“The basics are to separate what is burning from what is not burning and have a suppression action to put the fire out,” said Josh Cantrell, the Redmond Smokejumper Base training manager.

Smokejumpers can continue to work the fire on their own or call in support. Options include using helicopters or planes to drop water or a flame retardant on the fire. They might also call for ground support in the form of a hotshot crew, which has experience fighting fires head-on and can hike to a wildfire in progress.

A good book and fresh socks

State employment regulations require smokejumpers to take a break every two hours. They also can’t work more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period.

“I may go sit in the shade if it’s just a small fire. I have a book on my phone,” Allen said, explaining break time options in the forest. “Quiet time is hard to come by, so sometimes just letting my mind wander is pretty nice.”

Come evening, the crew gathers for a meal, which provides time to relax and discuss tactics to fight the fire. Tinfoil pans are used for cooking. Otherwise, it’s just freeze-dried food — spaghetti and meatballs, chili and soups.

Some bring a paperback for the downtime. Creature comforts are rare but sometimes appear.

“Good socks. That is the most important thing,” Allen said. “Extra socks will make your day.”

When night falls, smokejumpers try to get some sleep. Each smokejumper has his or her own tent for bedding down at night. The intensity of the fire determines how far away the smokejumpers will camp.

“There are laws of commonsense that have to apply to determine where you are going to camp,” said Cantrell. “If it’s truly raging you are not going to put yourself in jeopardy.”

Even when the fire is a safe distance away from the campsite, this is hardly glamping. Mosquitoes can make the nights challenging and camping gear is bare bones. But smokejumpers are a special breed of firefighter used to navigating difficult circumstances at the workplace. Come morning, it’s pulaskis in hand and off to another day at the office.