Mann Gulch History
On August 5, 1949, the Mann Gulch Fire broke out on the Helena National Forest and ultimately took the lives of 13 firefighters. This incident underscored the need for scientific study of fire behavior and directly led to the development of the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and the National Technology and Development Program.
The story of the Mann Gulch tragedy has a lasting legacy within the wildland firefighting community and is often retold and reexperienced through site visits and staff rides. The story was famously captured for public consumption in Norman Maclean’s book, “Young Men and Fire”, where readers can learn about the events and individuals involved that were forever codified on that fateful day.
- Overview
- The Thirteenth Fire Video Series
- Mann Gulch Stand Videos
- Mann Gulch Photo Series
- People
- Resources
Historical photo showing an aerial view of Mann Gulch on the Helena National Forest, Montana.
Mann Gulch 75th Anniversary
The 75th anniversary of the Mann Gulch fire occurred on August 5, 2024. Events to mark the occasion were held in Helena, Montana from August 3-5, 2024. The Missoula Fire Lab collaborated with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, local historians, Forest Service retirees, and a private videographer to develop various multimedia activities to accompany the event and support continued learning. Learn more about the events at Mann Gulch in this article, and explore Mann Gulch videos and photo series on the next tabs. The video below provides an overview of the multimedia resources available and how they might be used to support learning, staff rides, and site visits.
Principal Investigator: Dan Jimenez
Funding Contributor: USDA Forest Service
Project Years: 1949-present
Overview of Mann Gulch Videos and Photo Series
Mann Gulch Videos - Full Playlist
The Thirteenth Fire is a powerful story of the young men who parachuted into Mann Gulch, and the legacy of the other men whose lives it touched and drastically affected. This series was developed as a learning tool to build on the history of the Mann Gulch Fire and provide a format for individuals to revisit the lessons learned from this tragic event. A series of four presentations details the history and events of the Mann Gulch Fire as we understand them today.
See the next tab, "Mann Gulch Stand Videos" for site-level interpretation and further learning. The full Mann Gulch video playlist, including the Thirteenth Fire and the Stand Video series is available on YouTube:
Mann Gulch Videos - Full Playlist
The Thirteenth Fire: Part 1
The Thirteenth Fire: Part 2
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The Thirteenth Fire: Part 3
The Thirteenth Fire: Part 4 (Audio Recording)
Learn about the events at Mann Gulch through this series of videos that walk the viewer through various locations (stands) of Mann Gulch. This series was developed as a learning tool to build on the history of the Mann Gulch Fire and provide a format for individuals to revisit the lessons learned from this tragic event. A series of seven videos provide site-level interpretation of the events of the Mann Gulch Fire as we understand them today.
The full Mann Gulch video playlist, including the Thirteenth Fire and the Stand Video series is available on YouTube:
Mann Gulch Videos - Full Playlist
Mann Gulch Stand 1
Dave Turner welcomes everyone to the Mann Gulch Fire national historic site, providing an orientation to the location, prevailing winds, and the steep slopes.
Mann Gulch Stand 2
A C-47 with sixteen smoke jumpers arrives at the fire, estimated to be six to eight acres at 12:25 and forty to sixty acres at 3:10.
Mann Gulch Stand 3
Wag decides to lead the crew side hill, across the drainage on the south slope, to the river bottom where they can engage in an anchor and flank strategy.
Mann Gulch Stand 3a
A board of review investigates the supervisor's actions and destination for the crew.
Mann Gulch Stand 4
As the crew attempts to outrun the advancing fire, Wag Dodge realizes they’re not going to make it and decides the light an escape fire.
Mann Gulch Stand 5
Thirteen smokejumpers lose their lives in the fatal fire, serving as a stark reminder of the importance of personal safety and vigilance.
Mann Gulch Stand 6
Bob Jansson, the fire boss, encounters challenges while trying to locate the fire and the smoke jumpers.
The following photo series show various points of interest in Mann Gulch, locations of stand videos, and 360 degree photos that can be downloaded and viewed on site visits.
Mann Gulch Photo Series
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Photo
https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/multimedia/photos/mann-gulch-fire-tragedy-photo-series -
Photo
https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/multimedia/photos/mann-gulch-fire-tragedy-360-photo-series
People
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Person
Sara H. Brown, PhD
Program Managerhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/sara.h.brown -
Person
Dan M. Jimenez
Research Mechanical Engineerhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/dan.jimenez -
Person
Thomas Dzomba
Deputy Program Managerhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/thomas.dzomba