"When Death Stalked the Mountains--The Tragic Hauser Canyon Brushfire" by Jim Hinds

CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST HERITAGE PROGRAM "When death stalked the mountains--the tragic Hauser Canyon brushfire" by Jim Hinds This October 2nd marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most devastating fires ever to cross the Cleveland National Forest--the Hauser Canyon fire of 1943. From October 2 - 6 over 16,000 acres burned, much of it within the boundaries of the Descanso Ranger District. What made the fire even more devastating was the loss of nine soldiers and the wounding of over 75 others during the fighting of the fire--making it the fire with the largest number of casualties ever on the Cleveland. The following articles were written by Jim Hinds, the former archivist of the Mt. Empire Historical Society of Campo, California. Mr. Hinds, a military historian, is the foremost expert on the history of military activity within the Mountain Empire region of southeastern San Diego County. Jim was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the military museum at the Mt. Empire's Gaskill Brothers Stone Store museum in Campo. In his years as archivist he acquired many of the records of Camp Lockett, the last cavalry post built in the u.S. at Campo in 1941. Many of the sources Mr. Hinds mentions come from these records as well as the local newspaper coverage of the fire. You will note that most of the firefighters are Marines and U.S. Cavalry soldiers. This fire occurred in the midst of World War II and the San Diego mountains were the scene of much military activity at this time. A Marine training camp was established at Pine Valley. At Campo, Camp Lockett housed over 3500 soldiers of the 10th and 28th Cavalry regiments. These cavalry units were unique in that they were comprised of Afro-American soldiers (the Armed Forces was still segregated at this time). The 10th Cavalry was a famed unit known as the "Buffalo Soldiers.n A name originating from the regiments inception in the 1870s as a unit fighting Native Americans in the Plains and Southwest. Since most local men and many Forest Service employees had joined the service, these military men were the closest labor source available. As such they became the firefighting muscle in the fire seasons in San Diego County during World War II. It is hoped that in reading the tragic story of the Hauser Canyon Fire in its 50th Anniversary year, we will remember the sacrifice of these, and all the brave men who died in the service of their country fighting wildfires on the Cleveland and throughout southern California. James Newland Historian Cleveland National Forest **We would like to thank the. Mountain Empire Historical Society, Jim Hinds, and Jean Taylor, editor of the Mountain Heritage for permission to reprint these articles for the employees of the Cleveland National Forest. Back issues of the Mountain Heritage can be obtained at the Gaskill Brothers Stone Store Museum in Campo (619) 478-5707. .. Mountaln-Heritaqe Fal! 1992-Pa,g&13 Part 1: When death stalked the mountains- the tragic Hauser Canyon brushfire Jim Hinds compiled this report of the deadly fire that for them to practice firefighting skills. swept the area in October 1943. He published it in his When the Forest Service requested military assistance in Camp Lockett News, September-October 1989. Jim fighting this fire the Marines at Pine Valley were given the has submitted the story to be serialized in the Mountain mission. Because of limited documentation on this facility there is no way to determine how extensive the Marines Heritage on the 50th anniversary of this tragic event. firefighting experience was during the summer of 1943 prior to this fire. Nonetheless, a force of 80 men was assembled and loaded onto trucks. Saturday, October 2, 1943. A brush fire in Hauser Can- The fire was burning approximately 10 miles south of yon was detected at approximately 10:30 in the morning Pine Valley, but by road the distance was greater. A convoy burning along Cottonwood Creek in the Cleveland National headed east on US Highway 80 until reaching the turnoff for Forest. Cottonwood Creek flows westward through the can- Buckman Springs Road where the trucks turned south. yon from Morena Lake to Barrett Lake, both part of San In the back of the trucks the men were in jovial spirits and Diego's water system. standing up when they passed Lester Hook, a local rancher Hauser Canyon is narrow, with steep, high hills on both who was working a short distance from his ranch. They were sides, and thick brush growing all the way down to the rocks hollering and whooping, and one shouted out an inquiry as along the creek. A narrow roadway extends through the they passed him if he was the one who started the fire. canyon. Hell In a very small place During the previous 24 days, 9,100 acres of the Cleve- Accompanying the Marines that afternoon was Buel B. land National Forest had been consumed in three major fires: Hunt, the Cleveland National Forest's training officer, and the 4,1 OO-acre Indian Creek fire on September 9, the 1,000- Jack Hemdon, a Forest Service guard. Hunt had been in acre Viejas fire and the 4,OOO-acre Potrero fire, both on charge of training the Marines and other servicemen in how September 22. Because of extreme dry conditions the brush to fight brush fires in this area. covered mountains were parched. Wrth each new fire there After nearly two hours on the fire line Hunt and the existed a potential for a major conflagration. On Friday, Marines found themselves forced into Hauser Canyon and October 1, Barrett Dam reported a high temperature of 99 were trapped between the steep slopes ofthe canyon at 2:15. degrees. It had been six days since any precipitation had What occurred next in Hauser Canyon could only be de- been reported; scribed as hell in a very small place. A busy summer The events that followed are chronicled in the October 9, So far military forces in this region of southeastern San 1943, edition of The San Diego Union in an article entitled: Diego County had been kept busy fighting fires throughout "Fire Inquiry Nearing Close." This is the newspaper's account the summer. The largest military facility in the region was of the events that occurred that tragic afternoon (author's Camp Lockett where the Army's, 2nd Cavalry Division's 4th comments in parentheses): Cavalry Brigade was stationed. Both of its two regiments had "The marines and federal foresters had retreated before been busy fighting wildfires that somehow always seemed to the rushing flames. A wind shift sent fire leaping at them, and break out on the weekends. cut off their retreat it was disclosed. Three marines (Private While smaller in size, the Marine Corps training camp at First Class Ismael W. Wesson and Privates Norman L. Shook Pine Valley was the other military facility in the region helping Jr. and Ralph C. Peters) sought to rush through the flames, to fight fires. Started at a former Civilian Conservation Corps and were the first of eight to die. Others sought sanctuary on camp in 1942, the Marine Corps had a signal company and an open space, clear of brush, and tried to burrow into the transportation company stationed there, and trained 110 men ground. at the camp every eight weeks. "The fire 'ran over' them, and although none of the Personnel from both camps received firefighting training leaping flames actually touched the men, five more, four from United States Forestry Service personnel. An officer marines and a soldier (the lone soldier to die did so the and non-commissioned officer from each-troop within the following day) died from burns suffered in the heat. 10th and 28th cavalry regiments at Camp Lockett had at- "Flesh of the men was burned, although their clothes tended this training. The knowledge they gained from this didn't catch fire. one-day course they were to impart to the men in their units. "After the fire passed, the retreat began, with the men Their training included lecture and practical experience in carrying those unable to move. Then on a little roadway, they fighting small brusllfltes. These fires.were deliberately started Please-.turn to page 7. Mountain Heritage Fall 1992 Page 7 Hauser Canyon fire--continued from page 1 again faced death in the shape of an I ever saw. I've seen some terrible Commemorative plaque advancing wall of flame from another accidents, but in all of them there was honors fire victims wing of the fire. nothing equaling the courage of those In commemoration of the su- "Some of the men gave indications fellows. They certainly can 'take it: " preme sacrifice made by the nine that they wanted to run from the new As the flames roared past them, Marines who lost their lives in the menace. But they were advised to lie the marines and Hunt clung as close to Hauser Canyon fire a plaque bear- down on the road. Later, as they re- the earth as they could. ing their names is affixed to a sumed their move toward hospitals, "It seemed like an eternity until it large boulder in Hauser Canyon. they learned that if they had made the got a little cooler," Hunt said. "Even The inscription reads: "In com- dash, probably all would have been then we could not leave at once; but memoration of the supreme sac- burned to death." . had to wait until the ashes were cool rifice made by the following mem- In the October 5, 1943, edition of enough to get through without further bers of the United States Marine The San Diego Union, in an article danger.

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