Donnelly Flats Fire Entrapment 1999

On July 11, 1999. on the Donnelly Fire on U.S. Army Fort Greely lands in Alaska, seven smokejumpers were separated into two groups. One group was looking for spot fires in an unburned area and the other worked on improving the fireline. As the fire activity increased, the decision was made to pull off the line. Visibility was poor due to vegetation. As the smokejumpers began to run down the line, they saw a whirlwind come out of the black, picking up embers and re-igniting burned and unburned material. This whirlwind cut between the two groups and forced them to take refuge in the "black" safety zone. One smokejumper was overtaken by the whirlwind and received first and second degree burns. He received medical attention; no permanent damage occurred.

Fire Behavior, Initial Attack, Burn Injury, Entrapment