Part of the backstory important to Rowan’s struggles has to do with an unfortunate jump that her partner made, and the incredible guilt she carries. Their equipment and supplies are dropped in after the firefighters land.

The guys and gals jump into the fire in remote mountain areas, ready to go, and must be as self-sufficient as possible. When not on duty working a fire, they are busy working out so that they can maintain their exceptional physical fitness. “Chasing Fire” is remarkable in its descriptions of the exhausting life of a smokejumper. If they’re lucky, they get to shower every couple of days. Hotshots are specially trained to work a fire in the woods with chain saws and axes smokejumpers have the additional training and challenge of parachuting into a fire when it can’t be reached on foot. These are highly trained firefighters that work for long hours in volatile, hazardous conditions for days on end, sometimes being cut off from food, water, and help for long periods of time. He says he’ll get her to change her mind. When former Hotshot (experienced wildfire fighter) Gulliver Curry shows up as a smokejumper recruit at the Missoula base, Rowan is immediately singled out as a target for his affection. Smokejumper Rowan Tripp follows in her famous father’s footsteps, spending summers fighting dangerous fires in Montana, pushing back against the raw power that challenges them every day in the field.

“Chasing Fire,” by New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts, explores the world of adrenaline-pumping fire jumping in the northern USA forests.

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts