Photo Record
Metadata
Title |
Higgins Ridge Smokejumpers Oral History |
Catalog Number |
2020.043 |
Object Name |
Digital, Photograph |
Description |
Higgins Ridge Smokejumpers Oral History 2019 >> The Higgins Ridge Fire, Nez Perce National Forest, occurred on August 4, 1961, and 20 smokejumpers flew in to fight it. While it started as a small 2-acre fire, it quickly erupted into a 1,280-acre inferno. The jumpers were trapped on Higgins Ridge. They had lost radio contact. A helicopter pilot for Johnson Aviation knew that the jumpers had lost contact, and on his own initiative flew a Bell 47G-3 helicopter to find them. He and the District Ranger at Moose Creek finally located them. Attempts to land were extremely difficult in the very turbulent, intense fire conditions. After several trips, the heroic pilot eventually rescued all of the jumpers two riding in the small cockpit and two hanging onto the helicopter skids. Some men were burned, others had smoke inhalation sickness, but they all survived. >> Oral history interviews of 9 smokejumpers and the helicopter were recorded in MP3 format Wade Erwin, Snellville, GA; Donald Gordon, Alberta, Canada; Roy Korkalo, Vancouver; Ross Parry, Ogden, UT; Neil Walstad, Grangeville, ID; John Holtet, Missoula, MT; Rod Snider, Boise, ID (pilot); James VanVleck, Steilacoom, WA; Dale Graff, Helena, MT and Tom Kovalicky, Grangeville, ID >> On June 29.019 there was a public panel discussion by the smokejumpers at the James B. Yule Pavilion, Nation Museum of Forest Service History museum site. The discussion was video recorded. >> Five page Project Report attached |
Additional File |
Click Here to view Project Report. |
Place |
Missoula, Montana |
Date |
2019 |
Year Range from |
2019 |
Year Range to |
2019 |
People |
Erwin, Wade Gordon, Donald Graff, Dale Holtet, John Korkalo, Roy Kovalicky, Thomas J. Parry, Ross Snider, Rod VanVleck, James Walstad, Neil |
Subjects |
Nez Perce NF Higgins Ridge Fire |
Search Terms |
Smokejumpers |
Catalog date |
2020-09-04 |
Collection |
National Musuem of Forest Service History |