Smokejumper Obituary: Abromeit, Douglas E. (McCall 1971)

Authors

National Smokejumper Association

Files

Obituary

Doug, 65, died May 19, 2013, near Sun Valley, Idaho, while cycling with friends. A coroner's report said he appeared to have died from natural causes as he crashed to the side of the road, but had no apparent trauma and his feet were still in the pedal clips. Doug had retired in 2011 as director of the U.S. Forest Service's National Avalanche Center, an agency he helped create. He had been serving as a snow ranger, but moved to the national coordinator of the military weapons program for avalanche control; it later became the National Avalanche Center. Doug often described it as being a "program with a big name and a very small staff," as he was the only employee until Karl Birkeland joined him in 2001. Doug jumped at McCall in 1971 and again from 1976 through 1984.

Identifier

Abromeit_Douglas-E_McCall_1971

Publication Date

May 2013

Keywords

Smokejumping; Smokejumpers -- United States; National Smokejumper Association; Wildfire fighters; Obituaries

Disciplines

Forest Management

Recommended Citation

National Smokejumper Association, "Smokejumper Obituary: Abromeit, Douglas E. (McCall 1971)" (2013). Smokejumper Obituaries. 794.
https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/794