Level 1 Reading 9B

Ch.18 Reading 9B

SMOKEJUMPERS Every year, wildfires destroy millions of hectares of forest land. Homes are damaged, and thousands of people die. Smokejumpers help to stop this. Smokejumpers are a special type of firefighter. They jump from planes or are lowered by helicopters into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot, such as the middle of a mountain forest. They race to put out fires as fast as they can. At a fire site, smokejumpers first examine the land and decide how to fight the fire. Their main goal is to stop a fire from spreading or to slow its progress until full, ground-based firefighters arrive. Using basic equipment such as shovels and axes, smokejumpers clear land of burnable material, like dry grass and dead trees. They carry water with them, too, but only a limited amount. Although the majority of smokejumpers are men, more women are joining now. The most important factors are your height and weight. Smokejumpers employed in the United States, for example, must be between 120 and 200 pounds(between 54 and 91 kilograms) so they don't get blown away by the strong winds or get hurt when they land. Smokejumpers must also be capable of surviving in the wilderness. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and can even make simple furniture from trees. The work is dangerous, and the hours are long. But for these firefighters, smokejumping isn't just an occupation. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As 28-year-old Russian smokejumper Alexi Tishin says, "This is the best job for tough guys."

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