Blackwater Fire Entrapment Fatalities 1937

Lightning ignited the Blackwater Fire on August 18, 1937, thought it was not detected until August 20. At detection, the fire was two acres in size at the bottom of the drainage. By late August 20, the fire had grown to 200 acres, and was staffed with Civilian Conservation Corps firefighters and overhead. Work continued on August 21, when fire behavior increased dramatically at approximately 1545 with the passage of a cold front over the area. During the resulting entrapments, 9 firefighters perished immediately. In the days that followed, 6 additional firefighters succumbed to their injuries sustained on August 21. An additional 38 firefighters were injured. 

Those firefighters lost on the Blackwater Fire were: Clyde Allen, Roy Bevens, Alfred Clayton, Ambrocio Garza, John Gerdes, Will Griffith, Rex Hale, Billy Lea, Max Mayabb, George Rodgers, James Saban, Earnest Seelke, Rubin Sherry, William Whitlock, and Paul Tyrrell.

Fatality, Extended Attack, Entrapment, Hand Crews