Blackwater Fire Entrapment Fatalities 1937

Lightning ignited the Blackwater Fire in Wyoming on August 18, 1937--although it wasn't 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 (CCC) firefighters and overhead. Suppression work continued on August 21, when, at approximately 1545 hours, fire behavior increased dramatically with the passage of a cold front over the area. During the resulting entrapments, nine firefighters perished immediately. Over the next few days, six additional firefighters succumbed to their injuries that had occurred on August 21. In addition, a total of 38 firefighters were injured during this entrapment. 

Those firefighters who perished on the Blackwater Fire: 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