In 1910, the Forest Service faced a devastating series of forest fires in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. These incredibly damaging fires, sometimes referred to as the "Big Blowup" of 1910, pushed issues related to forest fires into the public discourse, and led to new USFS fire prevention and suppression policies.

Mouth of tunnel where Ranger Edward Pulaski sheltered his men during the Great Fire of 1910, photo taken soon after the fire, September 1910.

The Mann Gulch fire of 1949 on the Helena National Forest in Montana also greatly influenced fire suppression within the Forest Service. This devastating fire claimed the lives of thirteen smokejumpers, and led to the establishment of two new USFS facilities, one in Montana and another in California, dedicated to developing and testing firefighting equipment.

Selected Resources:

The Great Fires of 1910

"The Source," lecture by Stephen Pyne, 2001 Lynn W. Day Distinguished Lectureship in Forest and Conservation History.

The Mann Gulch Fire, 1949

Turner, Dave "The Thirteenth Fire." Forest History Today, 1999.

Pyne, Stephen J. "Green Skies of Montana." Forest History Today, Spring 2000.