10 & 18 Series - Tunnel No. 6 Fire

Windsor Daily Star Article, Sept. 25th, 1954

The following is a continuation of a multi-post documentation. Click here to begin from Part 1

Location

Tahoe Forest, CA

Origin of Fire

On Thursday, September 23rd, 1954, a "man-caused" fire began to spread in the Tahoe Forest, south of Sierra Buttes. No documentation exists as to who caused the fire and if any individuals were charged with arson.

Events

A bulldozer line taking the nigh shift patrol began constructing a fire line on the evening of September 23rd. The crew was an honor camp crew composed of six convicts, two pickup firefighters, and one forest officer. While working, four convicts slipped away from the crew to catch some sleep in some nearby bushes.
That night, dry east (mono) winds caused the fire to flare up dramatically. The crew boss called for an escape, and all, but the four convicts, left. One of the four managed to wake up in time and escape, but the other three died as the fire overran their location. It is unknown when their bodies were recovered or discovered.

Conclusion

Contributing factors to the disaster include:

(a) Taking a nap on the fireline - This is number 18 of the 18 Watch out situations

(b) Inadequate supervision of crew members

Sources

(1) https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildland-fire-fireline-construction.htm

(2) https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Wildland-Fire/Fire-Safety/18-Situations-That-Shout-Watch-Out

(3) https://www.npr.org/2018/11/18/669088658/serving-time-and-fighting-california-wildfires-for-2-a-day

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