Matthew D. Woosley (North Cascades ’84)
Posted: January 03, 2026
by Bill Moody (NCSB-57)
The 1984 Region 6 rookie smokejumper recruitment event was like the NFL Draft—who would get Matt Woosley, this “blue-chipper,” multi-talented firefighter from the Siuslaw N.F., Redmond or NCSB? NCSB won, initiating Matt’s 32-year smokejumper career at NCSB, retiring in April 2015 with 479 jumps under his belt.
Matt passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on November 25, 2025. He was born December 27, 1962, in Florence, Oregon, and grew up in Florence graduating from Siuslaw H.S. in 1981. During his school years Matt developed a love of the outdoors, was an avid hunter, and played high school baseball and football. In 2012 Matt married Allison Scollard. After retirement in 2015 they made their home in Florence, Oregon.
During his 32 years at NCSB, Matt’s work ethic, leadership, firefighting and air attack (ATGS) skills were recognized. In 1989 he became a spotter, a few years later, he became the NCSB Operations Foreman. Matt, or “Woos”, as he was known to many, was an excellent fireman, achieving Incident Commander Type 3 status. He carried those skills and excellence to the air becoming a journeyman ATGS (Air Attack) in 2003, and soon after, an ATGS on one of Region 6’s first Aerial Supervision Modules. After retiring from jumping in 2015 Matt continued “air attacking” until 2023.
In 2019 Matt joined his old boss and friend Bill Moody in Bolivia as a member of the 747 Supertanker Team fighting fires in the Amazon forests of Bolivia. It was a very special time for Bill and Matt. The Supertanker Team nicknamed Matt “Matador.”
Matt had a passion for hunting Oregon coast elk, surpassed only by his passion for riding his custom painted Harley, Big Red. When he returned to the Methow Valley, he would make the rounds visiting old smokejumper friends, spending several hours with a special friend, Tom Graves (NCSB-49).
Upon hearing of his death, more than 120 Facebook/emails poured in, recognizing Matt for his quiet and kind nature, willingness to help during times of need, his firefighting and air attack skills. He was very much respected in the smokejumper, air attack and air tanker communities.
Jamie Tackman, NCSB-75, long time NCSB jumper, Lead Plane pilot and friend summed it up.
“I feel like, if you looked up smokejumper in the dictionary you might see a picture of Matt Woosley. Above all, he was an incredibly hard worker, always doing more than his share. Unassumingly skillful, parachuting, tree climbing, water handling, firefighting, falling, managing an air show, all done with practiced efficiency. The exception to that skillfulness, was sewing, he hated to sew.
I’ve been on dozens (if not hundreds) of fires with Matt, on the ground and in the air. I can’t think of anyone who was more competent at any aspect of firefighting. He was like a Tasmanian Devil with a hose in his hand, no stump hole was safe. He could run a swirling bee’s nest of aircraft with easy confidence.”
In 1984 the NCSB “rookie scouting team” identified Matt as a “blue-chip” rookie candidate. Indeed, he was—as a person, as a smokejumper, as an air attack and as a friend to many.
Matt is survived by his wife Allison and several family members in the Florence, Oregon, area including his niece Samantha and her daughter Carter Jo, brother Tyler, and nephew Stefan—and all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with “the Woos.”.
