On July 9, 1953, two dozen exhausted firefighters, including 14 volunteer missionaries, were resting after helping control the Rattlesnake Fire in the Grindstone Canyon of the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California. Suddenly the wind changed, blowing sparks over a firebreak line, and sending flames roaring down the canyon in their direction. Hunkered in a gully, they didn’t see what was happening.
About 10:15 p.m. another firefighter realized their situation and ran to them, shouting, “Get out as fast as you can.” Fifteen of them fled downhill and the other nine clambered to the top of the ridge. After dawn, searchers found 15 bodies, one of a Forest Service employee and the others of the volunteers from the nearby New Tribes Mission. Those who ran uphill survived.
The fire burned more than 1,300 acres before being controlled on July 11, 1953. The fire had a major impact on wildland fire training, safety standards and weather awareness. It also led to more reliance on helicopters and air tankers.
An arsonist seeking fire-camp employment, Stan Pattan, was convicted of starting the Rattlesnake Fire and sentenced to three years in jail.
Sources: "Large Fires and Fatalities: Rattlesnake Fire." Fire and Aviation Management. National Park Service, Web. 19 Apr. 2016. https://www.nps.gov/fire/wildland-fire/learning-center/fireside-chats/history-timeline.cfm#text; Rattlesnake Fire." Wikipedia. 11 Sept. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattlesnake_Fire; "1953 07/09 CA 15-Fatality Rattlesnake." Always Remember. wlfalwaysremember.org, 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. http://wlfalwaysremember.org/home.html>.Ring, Ray, and John N. Maclean. "Some notable arson wildfire cases in the West." High Country News 2 Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
