Knappa Fire Entrapment Fatalities 1917

At some time around August 24, 1917, two firefighters were entrapped and fatally injured on a forest fire near Astoria, Oregon. These firefighters were both described as "Russians"--immigrants working for the Big Creek Logging Company at the time of their deaths. Their crew of loggers was working as firefighters on this fire when they were entrapped by a fire run burning in a clearcut. When they were instructed to run to safety, the crew broke into two groups. Some went down a trail and the others escaped via a railroad right of way. Of the railroad group, three escaped. But two firefighters, Stit Kulik and Alex Aushiki, were overcome and perished. These two men were natives of Grodno, a region that is now in Belarus. However, at that time, it was part of Russia. 

Entrapment, Fatality, Hand Crews, Burn Injury