The US Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them –
Black Butte, an inactive volcano in eastern Oregon, saw a group of United States Forest Service smokejumpers arrive by turboprop plane in May 2022. Among them was Ben Elkind, a seasoned firefighter with 14 years of experience. During a training exercise that spring, he suffered severe injuries to his left leg and pelvis. Despite the uncertain nature of his recovery, Elkind expressed a strong desire to return to jumping.
