Remembering Mann Gulch

Aerial firefighters will be honored a anniversary of devastating fire

July 1, 2024 By Julie Summers Walker

August 5 marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Mann Gulch fire near Helena, Montana, which changed the way the U.S. Forest Service fights fires.

The Mann Gulch fire encompassed 3,000 acres in Montana.

Mann Gulch 75h anniversary memorial tribute. Aerial fire patrols began in the early 1920s in California and Washington. The use and practice of parachuting was established in Missoula, Montana, in 1941 mainly because Johnson Flying Service was the premier mountain flying service providing the aircraft and pilots. In August 1949, a lightning storm set off one of the most devastating fires in the west, burning 3,000 acres in less than 10 minutes. The Mann Gulch fire claimed the lives of 13 firefighters, who all died within 300 yards of one another. The USFS used lessons from the fire, designing new training techniques and safety measures, which developed how the agency approached wildfire suppression. The agency also increased emphasis on fire research and the science of fire behavior.

Johnson Flying Service made Missoula synonymous with aerial firefighting. On site at Missoula International Airport (MSO) is the largest smokejumper base in the nation. The active base houses 75 rapid-response smokejumpers, their ready room, and an equipment center, as well as a museum featuring memorials; writer Norman Maclean’s cot on which he wrote A River Runs Through It; an original 1930 fire lookout tower, a gift shop, and more.

The nearby Museum of Mountain Flying has more than 25 aircraft exhibited on its hangar floor. The oldest airplane in the museum is a de Havilland DH.60GMW Gipsy Moth N617V, a British two-seat training and touring aircraft first developed in the 1920s.However, none of the museum’s collection has the storied past as the Douglas DC–3 now known as Miss Montana. The DC–3 was constructed in 1944 to serve the U.S. Army Air Forces, but never saw combat and was bought by the Johnson Flying Service in 1946. But, as a cargo airplane and shuttle, the DC–3 was called into action to deliver 15 smokejumpers to the Mann Gulch fire.

A lightning storm set off one of the most devastating fires in the west, burning 3,000 acres in less than 10 minutes.This summer, the USDA Forest Service, Montana Discovery Foundation, National Smokejumpers Association, and other partners will recognize and honor the men who perished in the Mann Gulch Fire of 1949 in events at Missoula and across the country.

“The men who lost their lives in the Mann Gulch fire seventy-five years ago live on today in many ways, from much-improved safety for firefighters to a deeper understanding of wildfire and how our responses impact wildfire,” said Forest Supervisor Emily Platt. “The memorial and events planned this summer will honor the men who lost their lives in the tragedy and reflect on our ever-evolving relationship with fire.”

As part of the events planned for the anniversary, pilot Bryan Douglass will showcase Miss Montana, the restored Douglas DC–3 that assisted during the fire.