Dollar Mountain Fire Multiple Incidents 1929

One of the largest fires of the 1929 fire season, the Dollar Mountain Fire on the Colville National Forest, Washington, was contained at 98,000 acres after burning for a month. Among the firefighters mobilized to the fire were 300 Russian-Canadians from a religious group, the Doukhobors. On August 8, 1929, a crew of 65 of these firefighters was entrapped and spent the night in the black before all returned safely to camp the next morning. In the vicinity of this entrapment the creek was named Doukhobor Creek to honor the firefighters.

On August 12, strong winds pushed the fire towards two fire camps of 150 personnel each, both of which were moved minutes before the burnovers occurred. Equipment was lost in the camp burnovers but no injuries or fatalities were reported.

On August 15, 1929, a Doukhobor firefighter named Vasiliy P. Makeiff (sometimes erroneously recorded as William Mikaryoff) was hit by a tree and suffered a skull fracture. The injured firefighter was taken to Mt. Carmel Hospital in Colville but succumbed to his injuries. 

Multiple, Fatality, Fire Behavior