248: The Mann Gulch Fire Tragedy. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.

National Park After Dark

Audioboom Studios

True Crime, Places & Travel, Wilderness, Society & Culture, Sports

4.8 • 4.6K Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2024

⏱️ 65 minutes

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Summary

When a fire broke out in Helena National Forest, the newly established Smokejumpers crew was sent to manage it. The fire proved to be larger and more dangerous than anyone could have predicted and when the winds changed, these men found themselves fighting for their lives. Many lives were lost and to this day it remains as one of the worst tragedies in wildland history.

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Resources:

Book: Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean.

Mann Gulch | US Forest Service

Transcript

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0:00.0	The very first wildland firefighter program was established in 1885.
0:10.5	Of course, we also know that for hundreds of years before that, indigenous people around
0:15.1	the country had used fire as a tool to manage the land for thousands of years.
0:20.1	Fire, while it can be destructive, is also necessary for a healthy environment.
0:24.9	Knowing that now, it seems silly that there was a time in the 19th century when we attempted
0:29.7	to ban all fires from the forest.
0:32.5	Many of our present fire problems stem from not addressing the need for it for so long. Today we have more than 11,000
0:39.7	wildland firefighters and among them are an elite crew of smoke jumpers. Through years of
0:45.4	training and research, they've figured out ways to help manage fires and protect the public
0:50.4	by being the first ones on the scene when they ignite. But with anything, they're always learning, and sometimes the biggest lessons stem from the largest tragedies.
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