Storm King Tragedy

[NJFFSA16]

Latest Storm King lessons focus on behavior

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - There are no public observances,
no moving memorial services, and for some -- no memory that today
marks a catastrophic anniversary in Colorado.
But the lessons from a July day eleven years ago are still being
learned.
It was July Sixth, 1994 that a wildfire exploded on Storm King
Mountain, just west of Glenwood Springs.
Fourteen firefighters were killed.
Continued interest in the fire is encouraging to retired Forest
Service worker Ted Putnam, who helped investigate the blaze.
He says a final report failed to adequately address "human
factors" behind the deaths, and is glad interest remains.
International Association of Wildland Fire president Dick Mangan
says such factors are being studied further to help prevent similar
tragedies.
---
Storm King survivor Michelle Ryerson now works in the Bureau of
Land Management's Office of Fire and Aviation in Boise, Idaho. She
co-authored a paper for an April safety summit in which she wrote
that 70- to 80-percent of accidents are -- quote -- "associated
with human error."
She and Forest Service retiree Chuck Whitlock noted that a
system for analyzing human factors already exists elsewhere in
accident investigations.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[SPIPER]

The Storm King blaze, which occurred July 6, 1994, killed 14 firefighters near Glenwood Springs. The wildland firefighters lost their lives when winds shifted, resulting in a "blow-up" fire condition that trapped them on the uphill and downwind position from a fire on Storm King Mountain.


The fourteen firefighters included smokejumpers Don Mackey, Roger Roth, and James Thrash; Prineville Hot Shots John Kelso, Kathi Beck, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Tami Bickett, Doug Dunbar, and Terri Hagen; and helitack crew members Richard Tyler and Robert Browning.

Browning and Tyler died when their escape route was cut off by a large drop and they were overrun by the approaching fire.

The other firefighters were killed as they ran towards the ridgeline to escape the fire advancing from below.

Several other firefighters in various other locations on the mountain became trapped by the flames but were able to make it to safe positions or deploy their emergency shelters.

[BirkenVogt]

Originally posted by SPIPER
Browning and Tyler died when their escape route was cut off by a large drop and they were overrun by the approaching fire.

What is that supposed to mean? I read the book a long time ago but I thought they did not have aircraft on it at the time of the incident. And why would a "large drop" cut off your escape. If a large drop came in that is the first place I would be heading for most likely. If that is even what they are talking about, at all.

Birken

[hwoods]

I think the reference was to a Cliff. I have the book too, I'll look it up.....