Dry lightning dots weather maps like a rash as red flag warnings are issued for the Great Basin. From California to Colorado, smokejumpers are on high alert and ready to meet the challenge.

Unstable air masses make for turbulent flights to work. As the spotter tests winds with streamers, the jumpers scout the landscape for hazards. Lee sides of slopes and ridges generate dangerous downdrafts.

Finding the ideal jumpspot can take time, often giving some jumpers the chance to taste their lunch again.