Smokejumper lands in front of Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend National Park, May 30. NPS photo.
For the first time, smokejumpers have jumped on a fire in Texas, while also breaking the record for the southern-most fire jump. It happened on May 30 when five Gila smokejumpers took off in their 1946 model DC-3 from Silver City, NM and parachuted onto the Sublett fire in Big Bend National Park.
The fire that started from lightning on May 21 is being managed for resource benefits, including removing exotic species such as saltcear and giant river cane. The jumpers are leaving the 109-acre fire today after having been there for two weeks. The resource benefit fire is not out, but is still creeping around.
The Gila Smokejumpers have worked from Silver City, New Mexico, since 1954 as part of a seasonal crew made up of jumpers from bases throughout the western United States.
Great article! Interesting to learn that this is the southern-most fire jump as well as the first SMKJ jump in Texas.