The Mann Gulch Fire

[frisco-kid]

Mann Gulch is in Montana about 50mi. south of Great Falls on the Missouri River on the east side of the Continental Divide. It's unique in that it is exactly where the eastern prairies meet the western mountains. One side of the gulch is grassy with small stands of trees, while the other side is forested. Both sides are steep.

On 5AUG49 a fire was started in the gulch by a lightening strike. That whole part of Montana was experiencing record breaking temperatures. A Forest Ranger reported the fire and the Forest Service decided to drop Smoke Jumpers from Missoula on it. The fire didn't look especially out of the ordinary, but the terrain was quite steep.

15 Smoke Jumpers jumped from a C-47 onto the grassy side of the gulch. Both sides had fires. 12 Smoke Jumpers and the Ranger already on the ground would be dead in an hour. It is still the worst tragedy in the history of the Smoke Jumpers.

Most people think that a fire moves fastest through timber. It can, and does, move quickly in the right conditions. But it moves much faster through grass, especially when driven by winds. This is what overtook the Smoke Jumpers. It moved so quickly that they couldn't out run it. Two, however, did. Instead of running parallel to the fire on the sidehill, they ran straight up the steep side of the canyon to the crest finding a passage through the boulders at the top. Even then, their clothes were singed. The only thing that saved them was fitness and youth. One of these survivors was 17yrs. old. The youngest on the crew. The third survivor was the oldest. He was the 36yr. old Crew Supervisor. He survived by setting a large area of grass on fire ahead of the main fire. When the main fire started to overtake him he lied face down in the burned area with his face in the dust and ash. The fire passed him by. Not having any fuel around him, he wasn't burned. 2 of the dead died the next day from their burns.

As you can see, these were all young men mostly in their 20's. 12 of the 15 had served in WWII. One of them, David Navon, had fought at the Battle Of The Bulge with the 101st Airborne Division. Many of them were college students doing this as a summer job. 6 of them were from Montana, but 2 were from CA and the other 5 were from TN, PA, NY, MA, and NC.

I learned all of this from recently finishing a book on the tragedy titled YOUNG MEN AND FIRE by Norman Maclean. You might recognize his name as the author of A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, the book that the movie was based on. The book was a good read giving a history of the Smoke Jumpers, telling about the dynamics of the fire, the lawsuits that were filed against the USFS, the cover-ups [this is a Federal Government organization, after all], and about the men themselves. If you ever run across it, pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

BTW, if you've never seen A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT go rent it. It's a beautiful movie filmed in Griz's new backyard. You'll thank me for the recommendation.


Men who died in the Man Gulch Fire:
Robert J. Bennett - Paris, TN
Eldon E. Diettert - Missoula, MT
James 0. Harrison (Meriwether Fire Guard) - Missoula, MT
William J. Hellman - Kalispell, MT
Phillip R. McVey - Ronan, MT
David R. Navon - Modesto, CA
Leonard L. Piper - Blairsville, PA
Stanley J. Reba - Brooklyn, NY
Marvin L. Sherman - Missoula, MT
Joseph B. Sylvia - Plymouth, MA
Henry J. Thol, Jr. - Kalispell, MT
Newton R. Thompson - Alhambra, CA
Silas R. Thompson - Charlotte, NC

Survivors of the Mann Gulch Fire:

R. Wagner Dodge, foreman
Walter B. Rumsey
Robert W. Sallee

[frisco-kid]

Mann Gulch today. There are crosses in the tall grass roughly marking where each Smoke Jumper's body was found.

[covan]

An outstanding book. I would highly recommend it.

"They were young and did not leave much behind them and need someone to remember them." Norman Maclean "Young Men & Fire"

I often use this quote when speaking of our comrades who died in Vietnam.

[Packo]

Great post and I'll be getting that book soon and also seeing the movie about where Griz lives. I wanted to be a smoke jumper after Vietnam....but they don't need any with a gammy leg.

Pack

[frisco-kid]

Packo,

I, too, thought about becoming a smoke jumper not long after I came home and got out. Missoula is only a couple of hours away from Spokane. But it didn't pay very well and was pretty much a summer job at best the first couple of years. Being married with a family made me have to look for something a little more permanent. Maybe when I retire .

[frisco-kid]

I was struck the same way by the quote. Also very appropriate for our fallen brothers.

Check out this video. Turn your volume up and watchout for sandstorms.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLSbWhwTE0[/media]

[Keith_Hixson]

The Oldest continuing Smoke Jumping Base is in Winthrop, WA. We had a man in our church in Winthrop who was known as the "Father of Smoke Jumping." Francis Lufkin, the second man to jump out of a plane as a smoke jumper, just seconds behind the first man. A few of the smoke jumpers attended our church in the summers.
In 2001 4 firefighters were killed in the 30 mile Fire - 30 miles North of Winthrop. One of the kids was from Ellensburg. The fire chief was blamed for using poor judgement. They weren't smoke jumpers but it is so sad to see young kids loose their lives in such a tragic way.

Keith

[covan]

Damn, Tom, that was tough. Having read the book, knowing the story, and using that quote from Mr. Maclean for years the video and song hit me hard. Thanks for posting that link.

Almost sounded like Emmylou Harris. How did you locate that clip?

IMHO, not much different than dying young in combat.

God Bless them all.

Mike

[covan]

My wife listened to the song and said it sounded like Jewel.

Great ballad.

[frisco-kid]

I found it during a GOOGLE search for somemore pictures.

Go to GOOGLE and type in youtube - mann gulch fire. You'll find several renditions of it. I couldn't find anywhere that named the singer of this particular one. I like the slant that it's Dodge's point of view speaking from his death bed; not confessing or apologizing, just telling the way it was for him.