South Canyon StaffRide
Free AppAbout South Canyon StaffRide
NOTE TO USER: This app is in Beta Version and for testing purposes. Please feel free to download and audit the app. We will be realeasing the updated version soon.
On July 6, 1994, the South Canyon Fire caused the death of 14 firefighters, 7 miles west of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
On July 2nd and 3rd dry lightning storms ignited 40 new fires in the Grand Junction District, including the South Canyon Fire. The District set priorities for initial attack with highest priority given to fires threatening life, residences, structures, utilities, and fires with greatest potential for spread. All firefighting resources on the Grand Junction District were committed to the highest priority fires; the South Canyon Fire was not one of the highest. On July 4th, there was a shortage of resources for initial attack throughout the western slope of Colorado.
Starting on July 5th initial attack and extended attack resources were assigned to the South Canyon Fire as they became available. During the first few days the fire spread by backing downhill, on July 6th the winds and fire activity began to increase. At 3:20 p.m. on July 6th a dry cold front moved across the fire area. At 4:00 p.m. the fire crossed the bottom of the West Drainage. It soon spotted back across the drainage to the east side beneath the firefighters and moved onto steep slopes and into dense, highly flammable drought-stressed Gambel Oak brush. Within seconds a wall of flame raced up the hill toward the firefighters on the west flank fireline. Failing to outrun encroaching flames, 12 firefighters perished in close proximity to the west flank fireline 240 feet below the ridge. Two helitack crew members on the top of the ridge also died when they tried to escape the fire to the northwest. The remaining 35 firefighters on the South Canyon Fire survived by escaping down the East Drainage or by deploying their fire shelters at another location.
The follow-up actions to the South Canyon Fire led to higher training standards, an increased emphasis on weather information and fire danger recognition, the study of human factors in wildland firefighting, and interagency standards for fire operations.
On July 6, 1994, the South Canyon Fire caused the death of 14 firefighters, 7 miles west of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
On July 2nd and 3rd dry lightning storms ignited 40 new fires in the Grand Junction District, including the South Canyon Fire. The District set priorities for initial attack with highest priority given to fires threatening life, residences, structures, utilities, and fires with greatest potential for spread. All firefighting resources on the Grand Junction District were committed to the highest priority fires; the South Canyon Fire was not one of the highest. On July 4th, there was a shortage of resources for initial attack throughout the western slope of Colorado.
Starting on July 5th initial attack and extended attack resources were assigned to the South Canyon Fire as they became available. During the first few days the fire spread by backing downhill, on July 6th the winds and fire activity began to increase. At 3:20 p.m. on July 6th a dry cold front moved across the fire area. At 4:00 p.m. the fire crossed the bottom of the West Drainage. It soon spotted back across the drainage to the east side beneath the firefighters and moved onto steep slopes and into dense, highly flammable drought-stressed Gambel Oak brush. Within seconds a wall of flame raced up the hill toward the firefighters on the west flank fireline. Failing to outrun encroaching flames, 12 firefighters perished in close proximity to the west flank fireline 240 feet below the ridge. Two helitack crew members on the top of the ridge also died when they tried to escape the fire to the northwest. The remaining 35 firefighters on the South Canyon Fire survived by escaping down the East Drainage or by deploying their fire shelters at another location.
The follow-up actions to the South Canyon Fire led to higher training standards, an increased emphasis on weather information and fire danger recognition, the study of human factors in wildland firefighting, and interagency standards for fire operations.
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What are users saying about South Canyon StaffRide
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Every firefighter should know this stuff for fire behavior and weather behavior assessment.
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All firefighters should learn from this incident. On a related note, my father was a very good friend of Jim Thrash one of the McCall Smokejumpers. I never had the pleasure of meeting Thrash as this incident was 5 months after I was born. Learn from this incident, it may save your life.