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That smokejumper position up in Alaska, for instance, would see a 30% raise — from $18.06 to $23.48 an hour.

Forest Service is looking to hire a smokejumper, a person who parachutes out of a rickety airplane to wrangle wildfires that break out far from roads or rivers.

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

But Bergen, whose primary job is serving as wildfire officer for the Fort St. John Fire Zone, pointed to British Columbia’s size, large population and huge timber industry as reasons it maintains a smokejumper program that takes significant money and expertise — but can get to fires faster.

Although it’s one of the smaller smokejumper bases, a posting there is among the more coveted because it’s considered the birthplace of this daring wildfire fighting technique.