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smokejumper

American  
[smohk-juhm-per] / ˈsmoʊkˌdʒʌm pər /

noun

  1. a firefighter who parachutes to forest fires inaccessible to ground crews.


Etymology

Origin of smokejumper

First recorded in 1925–30; smoke + jumper 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Sam Forstag, a 31-year-old union leader and former smokejumper - a person who parachutes in to fight forest fires - just won the Democratic nomination for Montana's 1st congressional district, defeating a more establishment candidate.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Former Montana smokejumper — a firefighter who parachutes into rural terrain to contain wildfires — Sam Forstag is also hoping to go to D.C. as the state’s first Democratic member of Congress in 30 years.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

A bill that would accomplish these measures, named for the late Forest Service smokejumper Tim Hart, appears unlikely to pass this legislative session.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2023

“If this is the smokejumper life, this is all right,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2023

On a recent afternoon, Curdy — a rancher and retired teacher and smokejumper — knocked on doors in a middle-class neighborhood on the more conservative side of the district.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 12, 2022

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