Blanket Creek Fire Hit by Rock Fatality 1914

On October 15, 1914, a fire escaped from land-clearing work on a privately-owned ranch and spread through grass and brush across multiple ranches south of Sonora, California in the area of Blanket Creek. A group of volunteer firefighters, made up of ranch owners and workers, organized a response to the fire. Two of these firefighters, George Anderson and Ed Minners, were firing off a road to check the fire's spread when a large rock above them rolled down the steep slope, striking both of them. Minners' injuries were described as "severe injuries to the hip" while Anderson was knocked unconscious. When Anderson was rescued he was found lying on hot embers, including one under his head which had severely burned the back of his head in an area about the size of a quarter coin. Both men were taken to the hospital in Sonora. Minners eventually recovered from his injuries (he died in 1969 at age 81). George Anderson underwent surgery to repair his fractured skull, but ultimately passed away in Sonora on October 19. Newspapers note that Anderson was a California Native, a member of the Miwok Indians.