 In all, there are about 400 smokejumpers in the U.S., but as climate change intensifies, their jobs have become more demanding. I experienced stuff that I had never seen before. Mitch Hokanson is the Redding base manager in a smokejumper for 25 years. He says these days, fire seasons are getting longer and longer. Normally, fire season wouldn't start until June. Now it's starting end of April. Follow me!