Dec

22

Fire, from Nils Poertner

December 22, 2023 |

The Great Fire of 1910

A number of factors contributed to the destruction caused by the Great Fire of 1910. The wildfire season started early that year because the winter of 1909–1910 and the spring and summer of 1910 were extremely dry, and the summer sufficiently hot to have been described as "like no others." The drought resulted in forests with abundant dry fuel, in an area which had previously experienced dependable autumn and winter moisture. Hundreds of fires were ignited by hot cinders flung from locomotives, sparks, lightning, and backfiring crews. By mid-August, there were 1,000 to 3,000 individual fires burning in Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

same as in mkts- the longer the rally…might not be one major fire but more a series coming.

Perhaps the most famous story of survival is that of Ranger Ed Pulaski, a U.S. Forest Service ranger who led a large crew of about 44 men to safety in an abandoned prospect mine outside of Wallace, Idaho, just as they were about to be overtaken by the fire. It is said that Pulaski fought off the flames at the mouth of the shaft until he passed out like the others. Around midnight, a man announced that he, at least, was getting out of there. Knowing that they would have no chance of survival if they ran, Pulaski drew his pistol, threatening to shoot the first person who tried to leave. In the end, all but five of the forty or so men survived. Pulaski has since been widely celebrated as a hero for his efforts; the mine tunnel in which he and his crew sheltered from the fire, now known as the Pulaski Tunnel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stefan Jovanovich recommends:

Young Men and Fire

Gyve Bones agrees:

I was tempted to mention that book, which I enjoyed. I read it after reading A River Runs Through It.

Pamela Van Giessen suggests:

For a comprehensive look at the fire of 1910 and how it was fought (and lost), The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, by Timothy Egan, is interesting.

Big Al points to:

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World

About the Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016.


Comments

Name

Email

Website

Speak your mind

Archives

Resources & Links

Search