The Bottom Line
John N. MacLean writes a definitive report on the worst wildfire our generation will ever see in terms of human life lost - The South Canyon Fire. His well written book is a minute by minute account of a fire on Bureau of Land Management's Storm King Mountain in 1994 where fourteen firefighters lost their lives because of political ineptitude, agency bad blood, poor leadership and communications and just plain bad luck. MacLean's father, Norman MacLean, is the author of "Young Men and Fire".
Pros
- Excellent minute by minute report on the United States deadiest wildfire.
- Fully documented from a wealth of interviews with living participants.
- Well written and grabs you like a thriller; the book just can't be put down.
Cons
- Dozens of characters mentioned can become somewhat confusing (but stick with it)..
- I had a hard time following the described path of the fire.
Description
- Great investigative journalism chronicled by a veteran reporter and excellent writer.
- Fire on the Mountain has become, to both family and friends, a written memorial to 14 firefighters.
- Included are actual photos of the fire and crew plus maps that illustrate the fire on July 6th.
Guide Review - Review: Fire on the Mountain
I tried to prepared myself for a visit to Storm King Mountain and the firefighter memorials by reading this book beforehand. I hiked to the spot where 14 firefighters and smokejumpers died and where such a terrible tragedy that could have been avoided by early action. This book was with me.
John N. MacLean begins his narrative on July 3, 1994, when BLM received a report of a fire near the base of Storm King Mountain, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Over the next several days the South Canyon Fire increased in size and but little or no action was taken to deal with it.
On the afternoon of July 6, the South Canyon fire spotted back across the drain and beneath the firefighters. Within seconds, a wall of flame raced up the hill toward the firefighters on the west flank fireline.
Failing to outrun the flames, 12 firefighters perished. Two helitack crew members on top of the ridge also died when they tried to outrun the fire to the northwest.
Guide Review Excerpt:
"The western drainage was filling with fire. Hipke resumed his scramble, using a free hand to pull himself along. The slope steepened to fifty degrees. Hipke hardly noticed The Tree as he climbed past it, except to mark that Erickson and Haugh were no longer there. The slope steepened to fifty-five degrees. An inner voiced screamed at Hipke, Get out! Get out! Get out!
The air turned dark red. Radiant heat pulsed from behind and from his right side. A tidal wave of sound and whirling embers engulfed him..."
John N. MacLean begins his narrative on July 3, 1994, when BLM received a report of a fire near the base of Storm King Mountain, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Over the next several days the South Canyon Fire increased in size and but little or no action was taken to deal with it.
On the afternoon of July 6, the South Canyon fire spotted back across the drain and beneath the firefighters. Within seconds, a wall of flame raced up the hill toward the firefighters on the west flank fireline.
Failing to outrun the flames, 12 firefighters perished. Two helitack crew members on top of the ridge also died when they tried to outrun the fire to the northwest.
Guide Review Excerpt:
"The western drainage was filling with fire. Hipke resumed his scramble, using a free hand to pull himself along. The slope steepened to fifty degrees. Hipke hardly noticed The Tree as he climbed past it, except to mark that Erickson and Haugh were no longer there. The slope steepened to fifty-five degrees. An inner voiced screamed at Hipke, Get out! Get out! Get out!
The air turned dark red. Radiant heat pulsed from behind and from his right side. A tidal wave of sound and whirling embers engulfed him..."
