CONTENTS Page Board Members, Technical Advisors and Witnesses 1 Preliminary Discussion, September 26, 8 to 9 A.M. 3 Board Object
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CONTENTS Page Board Members, Technical Advisors and Witnesses 1 Preliminary Discussion, September 26, 8 to 9 a.m. 3 Board Objectives and Purposes 8 Testimony of: Ranger Jansson, on Events of About 2 p.m., August 5 10 Supervisor Moir, on Events to About 2 p.m., August 5 23 Regional Dispatchers Fred Fite and Ralph Hand 26 Ranger Jansson, on Events from 2 p.m. to 9 a.m., August 5 33 Supervisor Moir, on Events from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., August 5 48 Assistant Supervisor Eaton on His Aerial Patrol 52 Spotter Cooley 58 Smokejumper Sallee 69 Pilot Kenneth Huber 90 Photographer Elmer Bloom 94 Smokejumper Hersey 97 Smokejumper - Administrator Stillings 110 Smokejumper Foreman Dodge 117 Ranger Janssen on Rescue Operations 126 Supervisor Moir on Rescue Operations 135 Regional Forester Hanson 144 Regional Personnel Officer McLaughlin 153 Regional Fiscal Agent Besman 162 Regional Safety Officer Blake 164 Assistant Regional Chief of Fire Control Space 167 Washington Office Safety Officer Jackson 170 Recommendations by Supervisor Moir 173 Statement by Smokejumper Foreman Lufkin 178 Statement by Washington Office Chief of Fire Control Gustafson 179 Testimony of Henry J. Thol (Father of One of the Victims) 183 BOARD OF REVIEW of Mann Gulch Fire, Helena National Forest, August 5, 1949 held in Missoula, Montana, September 26 - 28, 1949 Membership of the Board of Review C. M. Granger, Assistant Chief, Forest Service, In Charge of National Forest Administration – Chairman H. D. Cochran, Chief, Division of Personnel Management, Office of the Chief, Forest Service Jay H. Price, Regional Forester, North Central Region Lawrence K. Mays, Assistant Regional Forester, in Charge, Division of Operation, Pacific Northwest Region J. Malcolm Loring, Forest Supervisor, Chelan National Forest, Pacific Northwest Region Technical Advisors G. A. Gustafson, Chief, Division of Fire Control, Office of the Chief, Forest Service Francis Lufkin, Smokejumper Foreman, Chelan National Forest, Pacific Northwest Region (Advisory Smokejumper Foreman) Witnesses J. Robert Janssen, District Ranger, Canyon Ferry District, Helena National Forest, Northern Region Arthur D. Moir, Jr. Forest Supervisor, Helena National Forest, Northern Region Frederick M. Fite, Regional Fire Dispatcher, Division of Fire Control, Northern Region Ralph L. Hand, in Charge of Fire Planning, Division of Fire Control, Northern Region Harve L. Eaton, Assistant Forest Supervisor, Helena National Forest, Northern Region 1 Earl E. Cooley, Parachute Project Administrative Assistant (Fire Technician), Division of Fire Control, Northern Region Elmer P. Bloom, Photographer (Motion Picture), Division of Information & Education, Northern Region Kenneth Huber, Pilot, Johnson Flying Service (Government contractor), Missoula Montana Robert W. Sallee, Smokejumper-Fireman, Parachute Project, Division of Fire Control, Northern Region Walter B. Ramsey, Smokejumper-Fireman, Parachute Project, Division of Fire Control, Northern Region E. Wagner Dodge, Foreman of Parachute Squads, Parachute Project, Division of Fire Control, Northern Region Sidney E. McLaughlin, Regional Personnel Officer, Division of Personnel Management, Northern Region Fred L. Stillings, Parachute Project Administrative Officer, Division of Fire Central, Northern Region Clyde D. Blake, Assistant Regional Training and Safety Officer, Division of Personnel Management, Northern Region Seth Jackson, Safety Officer, Division of Personnel Management, Chief's Office Ralph S. Space, Assistant Chief, Division of Fire Control, Northern Region Percy D. Hanson, Regional Forester, Northern Region LaVaughn Boaman, Regional Fiscal Agent, Northern Region 2 PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION Monday, September 26, 8 to 9 a.m. Present were Granger, Cochran, Price, Gustafson, Loring, Hanson, Lufkin, Mays, Crocker and Space. GUSTAFSON: The first thing to settle is whether the members of the Board deem it necessary to go into the area on foot. We planned to start the meeting this morning and then fly over the area, but there was some talk at the hotel last night that it might be desirable to go in on foot. I think we should throw it open to question and make a decision now and make plans for cars and a boat to get from Helena to the area. What is your pleasure? GRANGER: The procedure that is proposed in the memo that went around to everyone was developed by Gus because I have had no experience with this sort of thing. If there is any question about the general procedure laid out here or if you think we ought to vary it in any important degree, I am sure Gus will agree that it is open for discussion. My brief review of the reports on the fire have made me think that there are two principal points upon which we need to satisfy ourselves with respect to the tragedy. One is whether or not it could have been expected that the man in charge of the crew would have recognized the possibility or probability of the fire getting in behind them and gotten his crew out before they were shut off at the lower end; and the second is when it became apparent to Dodge that the only possible means of escape was getting into the area of the escape fire that he set - whether at that time he took adequate measures to encourage the other members of the crew to follow his instructions. There may be other equally important points that I have not become aware of because of my scanty picture of the whole occurrence. We ought to keep in mind the most significant points and direct our questions to the witnesses in the light of those. We should avoid hearing witnesses or asking witnesses questions which don't point to the essential things we need to find out. Gus, I gather that you also want to find out whether the fire was properly handled as a fire, apart from the tragedy. GUSTAFSON: Up to the time of the accident. GRANGER: We also should decide whether we need to go into the area on the ground. Perhaps we will be able to form a better opinion after seeing the area from the air. There is the fact that the father of one of the men is very critical and might be expecting us to come in there as a Board of Review. We might make a brief excursion in there for the sake of seeing him if for no other reason, or give him an opportunity to come in and make a presentation of his case before the Board. We should make a determination with those things in view. Open for suggestions or comments. 3 HANSON: I thing this Board ought to try to picture the conditions that existed when the men were making up their minds to jump, as under those conditions the Board can decide as to whether the jump should have been made or not. I think it is very important for the Board to search out the conditions that existed at the time the jump was about to be made and see if they can determine, as firefighters, whether under those conditions, this jump should not have been made. The second point in regard to going to the area, if that man is there (and I don't know whether he is or not, he was 3 days ago) conceivably he could make a statement right there to the Board on the ground. It might be unnecessary for him to come in here. I would like him to have an opportunity to come in here and tell his story before the Board if he doesn't do it out there. I don't think you will gain by it as a Board, but I would appreciate going through the motion. MAYS: I don't think in face of the seriousness of this thing and having gone to the expense of having the Board of Review, that we should do it half way. An aerial look smooths the ground out too much. I am of the opinion that we ought to look at it on the ground. How long would it take? HANSON: It would take all of today. SPACE: A hard day. LORING: Fly over it and then go in on the ground. MAYS: We don't want to come back and then have to do it over again. I didn't know until last night about the father of this boy. I think we should do a thorough job. HANSON: We will take Dodge with us and he will tell his story on the ground. The whole area will be more easily visualized when you consider the action later. If you would like to, we can make arrangements for the trip. COCHRAN: What would you do, visit Meriwether camp? HANSON: We would fly the fire area first. Arrangements will be made for cars at Helena and a boat to take us down the river. GRANGER: It seems to be the consensus that we should go into the area on the ground. GUSTAFSON: Will some one make arrangements for that. HANSON: We will leave here at 9:30 a.m. 4 GUSTAFSON: We'd best go out and dress for the trip. (To Hanson) Have arrangements made for cars to meet us at 12:30 p.m. at Helena and arrange for the boat, and also get Dodge. (Instructions given to Space.) One thing particularly that we want to keep in mind continuously is the matter of taking an objective view of this whole thing. We must view it in the light of decisions made at the time. It is difficult to foretell the future. It is going to be difficult not to take the tragedy as the substance. We must determine what conditions were when they were planning on jumping; what were the conditions when Dodge was going down the gulch. We will have to judge the different steps as we go along.