Great Basin Smokejumper Base Manager Phil Lind talks about his career in wildland fire management. Starting from the agrarian communities of Wisconsin moving to the vast open spaces of Montana, Phil explains how he got into firefighting and his transition to become a smokejumper and BLM Great Basin Smokejumper Base Manager. We chat about what it takes to hone the specialized skills of a smokejumper, and how it differs from other wildland firefighting positions in preparation, suppression, and jumping out of a “perfectly good airplane." In closing, Phil divulges what he feels is the hardest part of the job.