1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
Maps
Reports
WLF Links
Media Articles
Multimedia
Comments
Incident Name: Mann Gulch Fire, Helena National Forest
Date: 8/5/1949
Personnel: 13 lives lost
Age: not known
Agency/Organization: US Forest Service, Missoula Smokejumpers (SJ) and Helena National
Forest Fire Guard
Positions: 12 Missoula Smokejumpers and a Fire Guard
Summary:
Those that died:
Robert J. Bennett
Eldon E. Dietter
James O. Harrison - Helena National Forest Fire Guard
William J. Hellman, died 8/6/1949
Philip R. McVey
David R. Navon
Leonard L. Piper
Stanley J. Reba
Marvin L. Sherman
Joseph B. Sylvia, died 8/6/1949
Henry J. Thol, Jr.
Newton R. Thompson
1/7
1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
Silas R. Thompson
Those that Survived:
R. Wagner Dodge - Missoula SJ foreman
Walter B. Rumsey
Robert W. Sallee
Summary:
On August 4, 1949 lightning struck a ridgetop separating Mann Gulch and Meriweather Gulch in
the "Gates of the Mountains" wild area, Helena National Forest, just east of the Missouri River
and approximately 20 miles north of Helena MT. On August 5 1949, just after their arrival to
fight the fire -- on a SW-facing 75% slope -- a thunder cell passed overhead. The unexpected
winds caused the small fire to spot from the south ridge to the mouth of the gulch and the lower
north ridge below them. It blew up, cutting off their escape route, entrapped and overran 16
Missoula Smokejumpers and one Fire Guard in Mann Gulch a scant hour and 45 minutes after
they arrived. Thirteen firefighters died; three survived.
Until then, the 10 year old smokejumper program had not lost one man to fire. After Mann Gulch
changes included:
* SJ training was modified to put more emphasis on crew discipline and control;
* The science of fire behavior prediction began;
* Two new centers in MT and CA were established to research, develop and test firefighting
equipment and PPE.
2/7
1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders of 1957 also were, in part, the result of this fire.
3/7
1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
Maps
Accident
Location
{mosmap
lat='46.8809526'|lon='-111.90391'|marker='0'|text='Accident
Location'}
Diagram
of
Mann
Gulch
and locations of events. From The Report.
oriented
so
north
is
at theFire
top.)
(For consistency,
46.8809526,
-111.90391
Diagram of Mann
approached
the crew
Gulch
at points
showing
(pt.)
the1,movement
2, and 3. From
of theThe
crew
and that
the position
fire as it
Race
Couldn't of
Bethe
Won
Possible Mann Gulch Staff Ride
4/7
1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
Return to top
Reports,
Documentation,
Lessons
-- Norman
Mann
Gulch
Factual
Report
ppLearned
12-17
of
37Fire
(1,602K
pdf)
Richard
Rothermel
(May
Mann
Gulch
Fire:
Race
That
Couldn't
Be628–652.
Won
States
Technical
Department
Report
INT-GTR-299
of
Agriculture,
Forest
Service,
Intermountain
Research
Station,
General
United
E.
Weick
(1993):
" The
Disaster
Collapse
of
Sensemaking
inThirteenth
The
Mann
Gulch
".
Administrative
Science
Quarterly
38
Maclean
(1993):
Young
Men
and
Mark
Matthews
(2007).
A1993):
Great
Day
to
Fight
a1949,
Fire:
Mann
Gulch,
1949
Dave
Turner
(Spring
1999)
Forest
History
Today:
"A
The
Fire
"(4):
(1,923
pdf)
-- Karl
The
Society,
Peeling
Back
the
Bark
blog:
"Organizations:
Tragedy
August
5,
1949:
Mann
" alignment:
Society:
Mann
Gulch
Fire,
a history
of the
Mann
GulchKGulch
Fire
MannForest
Gulch
Virtual
Field
Trip
Campbell
onHistory
predicting
fire
behavior:
Wind,
Slope,
Solar
Preheat
in
-
NASA
- System
Case
Studies:
Rocky
Mountain
Trap
, July
2007
- Their
Michael
Useem,
The
Moment
and
Lessons
forFailure
Us
AllLeadership
: Nine
True Stories
Triumph
and
Disaster
Random
1998.
Chapter
2, “Wagner
Dodge
Retreats
inDeath
Mannof
Gulch.”
. New
York:
New
Staff
Ride:
Mann
Gulch
Return
toHouse,
top
Wildlandfire.com
Links:
-- who
Enter
the
search
terms
Mann
Gulch
on
the
WLF.com
Search
mentioned
and
discussed
too
many
times
to
list
all
instances
here.
page.
This
fire
has
been
Mann
Gulch
Memorial:
Missoula
National
Wildland
Firefighter
Memorial
and
Jump
Center
(Photos
compliments
of
Bob
Kausen.)
Leo
Keith
Brown
(1928-1999)
who
"worked
with
Wag
Dodge
on
a1949.
fire
or
two":
per's
Pictoral
History
1953-54
Smokejum
Theysaid-it:
3/24/2013
and
same
Gulch
Frank
on
was
August
Small
on
board
5th,
was
1949.
beginning
the
Co-Pilot
That
discussion
was
with
of
questioned
the
of
C-47
message
the
type
that
which
from
of
dropped
plane
led
CDF
to
dropping
the
discussion...
Fire
Smokejumpers
Captain
jumpers
who
at
said
off
Mann
in
that
Mann
Gulch
this
Source
of
CDF
Fire
Captain's
statement:
Both
Norman
Maclean
of
Young
Men
and
Dave
Turner
of
and
The
Thirteenth
Fire
...
describe
a
C-47/DC-3
as
the
aircraft
dropping
off
the
smokejumpers
that
day
on
August
5th,
>From
Norman
Maclean's
Young
Men
and
Fire,
jumpers...",
many
ways...",
page
Page
42:
39:
"The
The
"The
foreman
C-47
circled
who
lay
the
on
fire
the
page
several
right
81:
side
times
"a
of
C-47
the
before
,door
could
dropping
ofin
only
the
C-47
hold
the
sixteen
was
crew...."
in
Dave
Turners
Thirteenth
Fire,
available
gear.",
the
co-pilot
east-bound
Page
FRANK
for
spotter
immediate
16:
plane
SMALL,
"At
Jack
2:30
on
Nash,
dispatch
Forest
its
P.M.
40
and
as
minute
Service
is
the
the
aalong
C-47,
16
C-47
flight
photographer
jumpers..."
lifts
but
Page
to
the
that
off
15:
Helena
from
plane
"Moir
Elmer
Missoula
only
Forest
is
Bloom,
told
holds
Field...",
are
that
spotter
16
the
the
jumpers
Pilot
only
Page
Earl
Ken
airplane
16:
and
Cooley,
Huber,
"Fire,
their
On
board
From
GM
as
the
discussion
continued,
some
excerpts
from
the
Review,
September
26-28,
1949
Mann
Gulch
Board
of
,assistant
which
did
not
mention
Frank
Small
on
board
that
day.
book
"
Source
of
Tom
J's
clarification
regarding
who
was
on
the
Mann
Gulch
plane:
Earl
Cooley's
Trimotor
and
Trail"
was
Forest
Kenneth
assistant
the
Service
spotter
Huber
spotter.
photographer,
was
on
This
that
the
made
plane.
C-47/DC-3
up
went
All
the
includes
16
pilot
full
of
the
C-47/DC-3
and
to
a
jumpers
Chapter
shoot
Frank
some
Load."
Small
are
with
listed,
film
details
was
for
then
the
a
about
movie
co-pilot.
it
says:
Mann
he
Jack
"Elmer
was
Gulch.
Nash
working
Bloom,
Earl
was
on.
Cooley
the
The
Mann
Gulch
C-47
is
sitting
in
the
Museum
of
Mountain
Flying
from
their
website:
Missoula.
This
is
“Our
Force
whom
most
she
The
brave
survived.”
dropped
Smoke
main
of
men
in
the
her
1944,
museum
pride
were
life,
Spotter,
15
declared
but
and
smokejumpers
killed
is
her
joy
who
actually
when
most
is
surplus
reported
our
the
famous,
dedicated,
DC-3/C-47,
over
in
fire
the
1946,
blew
a
infamous,
fire,
routine
and
at
up
N24320.
hiked
least
and
was
grass
and
in
chased
in
purchased
to
this
part).
fire
tragic
meet
aircraft
in
them
She
Mann
hour
the
by
served
up
jumpers.
was
was
Johnson
Gulch,
the
ordered
on
mountain.
smokejumper
near
August
Tragically,
Flying
by
Helena,
the
5,
Service
Only
1949,
US
13
duty
3
Montana.
of
Air
(to
when
for
these
Hotlist:
Robert
Sallee
Last
Surviving
Mann
Gulch
Smokejumper
has
Passed
Away
Return to top
Media Articles and Reports.
5/7
1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
6/7
1949 08/05 MT Mann Gulch
Remembering
Mann
Gulch
Nov
26,
2005
Online
Article
Robert
tell
the
Gates
you
only
of
Sallee
about
survivor
the
Mountains
the
seems
left,
day
he
a
he
forthcoming
in
has
survived
1949.
become
the
yet
a
Mann
symbol
reluctant
of
celebrity
the
Fire
firestorm
ifto
you
of
sorts.
ask
that
him
Forthcoming
killed
to.
13
Reluctant
firefighters
because
because
near
he'll
the
He's
Men
International
Mann
and
told
Gulch
his
Fire.
story
Airport
He's
anniversaries
to
told
on
National
Friday.
itor
to
fellow
or
Geographic,
firefighter
firefighters,
gatherings
to
Nova,
to
the
and
public
like
the
Norman
and
one
tosaid.
held
the
Maclean
media
at
Glacier
for
when
his
Park
he
book
shows
Young
upit
With
event.
somehow
movie
microphone
about
had
at
the
Hodgkin's
media
looking
edge
based
Former
involved
and
of
was
on
after
smokejumpers,
disease,
public
the
passed
table.
in
"Wag"
fire,
fighting
gathered
The
around
Dodge,
about
Red
the
interested
in
Earl
fire
the
Skies
the
table
gathered
Cooley,
hanger,
of
public,
before
Montana
of
Sallee,
family
look
the
spotter
-film,
crew
at
but
now
members
airplanes,
in
and
most
who
the
the
former
sole
also
plane
were
of
socialize,
those
survivor,
survived
there
smokejumpers
that
who
day,
to
or
was
the
listen
died
who
watch
fire,
the
or
to
sat
told
when
main
him.
were
the
quietly
stories
1952
A
he
Sallee,
short,
crossing,
firefighters
was
-disaster,
and
but
ownership
silent.
nobody
yet
in
whether
or
he
his
up
It's
the
fed
stoical
asked
the
likely
of
silhouette
listeners
it's
the
hill.
many
style,
them.
the
story
When
Titanic
the
retold
of
"Good,"
rests
his
Dodge
the
details
speech
or
the
in
people
listening
he
lighting
tale
they
said.
Hindenburg,
was
had
like
People
to
aGulch
questions
he
over
backfire
the
has
to
he
person
have
but
so
hear
asked
as
-many
the
like
a
-who
somewhat
Mann
fire
ifincident
why
flames
times
anyone
survived
sounding
Gulch
he
before.
chased
survived
had
morbid
it.
Fire
like
questions;
His
the
is
ataste
and
Montana
speech
freight
other
others
for
the
train
tales
was
lore,
room
didn't
ofas
"My
He
for
ago.
Mann
asaid
smokejumper
If
long
Gulch,"
there
he
time,
usually
was
Sallee
not
anyone
friends
doesn't
until
said.
Norman
to
tell
think
tell
me
the
about
Maclean
that
story,
Iforeman
the
have
itwanted
tracked
fire
was
to
unless
tell
Maclean,
him
the
someone
down
story,
Sallee
in
whether
Portland
asks,
Iand
"He
like
more
he
was
itstory
or
didn't
than
not,"
obsessed
25
think
Sallee
years
about
with
said.
Every
like
It
Service
was
the
fire
the
one
and
season,
first
on
wildland
major
Storm
when
tragedy
firefighters
King
a
crew
for
runs
the
alike.
smokejumpers,
from
in
1994,
fire,
the
deploys
story
its
of
the
the
shelters,
Mann
or
Gulch
is
when
ingrained
Fire
there's
gets
into
an
rechurned.
the
accident
Forest
For
Robert
significance,
Sallee,
who
and
survived
itMountain
is
also
one
Mann
that
Gulch
is
hard
Fire
to
on
shake.
his
first
jump,
the
is
one
of
historical
Return
to
top
Photos,
Videos,
& Tributes
USFS
Heroes
Memorial
page:
Mann
Gulch
Fallen,
1949
James
Cook:
Photos
of
Mann
Gulch
Mann
Gulch
Walk,
7/19/01
-- they
Forest
History
Society:
Online
Pictoral
Smokejumping
History
NWCG
Training:
Mann
Gulch
Fire
Short
Video
US
Forest
Service:
Mann
Gulch
60th
Anniversary
Commemoration
Announcement
Waters"
James
-Here's
Keelaghan
the
wrote
afirefighting
song
about
the
Mann
Gulch
Fire
entitled
"Cold
Missouri
Cold
Missouri
Waters
-the
Cover
by
Cry,
Cry
Cry
ballad,
Hodgkin's
escape
sung
fire...
disease
from
five
perspective
years
after
of
foreman
fire.
Itduring
imagines
Wag
Dodge,
Dodge
lying
saying
on
his
of
deathbed
his
decision
(YouTube).
dying
to
set
It's
of
the
atime.
Tried
But
Missouri
"I28,
to
don't
tell
cursed
waters."
them,
know
me,
why,
'Step
ran
IArticle
into
just
for
the
this
thought
rocks
fire
I17-year-old
it.
set.
above
I struck
We
instead.
can't
aSmokejumper
match
make
ISummary
lay
to
it,fire,
face
waist-high
this
down
is
the
and
grass,
only
prayed
chance
running
above
you'll
out
the
of
get.'
cold
Robert
Sallee
Last
Surviving
Mann
Gulch
has
Passed
Away
May
2014
|the
Online
Robert
following
Sallee,
open
heart
last
surgery.
of
Montana’s
Mann
Gulch
died
Monday
from
complications
The
13
Fire,”
his
and
colleagues.
later
Valley
talked
resident
He
tosurvivor
many
gave
was
interviews
athe
to
groups
Norman
smokejumper
about
Maclean
the
tragedy.
for
during
his
book,
the
1949
“Young
fire,
Men
which
and
killed
Hazen
&
Jaeger
Valley
Funeral
Home
is
handling
arrangements.
-ofSpokane
Wag
Dodge:
- Forest Service Remembers Early Tragedy -- 50 years later
Return
to topGM,
Contributors
to this
article:
lots of firefighters
and Captmack
others, most recently Gordon in R1, CDF
Fire
Captain,
Tom
J, roadrunner,
Misery Whip,
Please support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
7/7