85th Anniversary of the Pepper Hill Fire

Today is the 85^th Anniversary of the Pepper Hill Fire in the Elk State Forest here in Pennsylvania where 7 enrollees from the Civilian Conservation Corps and a forestry foreman lost their lives. The remaining crew was severely burned.

“In all, the fire claimed eight lives: Gilbert Mahoney 38, Ridgeway, was the first to perish; Basil Bogush, 19, Conemaugh, John Boring, 19, Johnstown, Howard May, 18, Erie, and Andrew Stefphanic, 18, Twin Rocks, all died in the fire. Ross Hollobaugh, 18, Rimersburg, died the next day in Renovo; Stephen Jacofsky, 17, Johnstown died the next day at St. Marys Hospital; George Vogel, hometown unknown, died November 2, in Renovo” (Overview of the Pepper Hill Fire of 1938).

Let’s take a moment to consider the conditions that led to this fire. Some of you may or may not already know that most of north-central Pennsylvania had been heavily logged from 1890-1930, this meant that by 1938 much of that area was very young second-growth hardwoods, shrubs, and leftover logging slash. Keeping this in mind, 1938 was an unusually hot, dry summer followed by a killing frost on October 7. That frost caused the foliage to cure and precipitation over the previous three months was significantly below normal, meanwhile, temperatures had persisted in the 80s with the average relative humidity sitting at 20-25% (National Wildfire Coordinating Group).

I’m going to pull directly from the NWCG 6 Minutes for Safety “This Day in Wildland Fire History” for the base summary of what happened that day:

“At 1110 on October 19, 1938, the Hunts Run Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) Camp #S-132 was notified of a possible forest fire. Upon investigation, several fires were located on Pepper Hill Mountain. Two CCC crews were dispatched to the fires. Both crews had just returned from a fire only hours before, and many enrollees requested to stay behind due to fatigue. All enrollees were ordered to go. The two CCC crews began initial attack from both flanks of the fire, anchoring into a nearby road. Both crews began constructing line from the heel of the fire to the top, burning out as needed.  For reasons which are still not clear, crew #2 was ordered to abandon their firing operation on the right flank and proceed to the head of the fire to construct direct downhill line. The crew was ¾ of the way up Pepper Hill Mountain when the fire below made a rapid run that overtook them. A few were able to find safety atop large nearby rocks.”

How the story unfolds is best told by one of the survivors, Pete Damico. Here is his story from the files of the Historical Society:

"It was the morning of October 19, 1938. The torrid sun relentlessly beat down its wave of heat and light, literally scorching the forests about Sinnamahoning, as if intentionally igniting the spark of destruction that was to follow. We had returned a few hours earlier from fighting a small forest fire and were getting a brief rest. At noon the fire gong once again sounded through-out the camp. We jumped out of bed, back into denims and rushed to the mess-hall for dinner, before going to the "fire-front." Following a hurried lunch, I placed a fire tank on my back, and with eighteen other fellows was off on the greatest adventure of my life. Little did we dream of the tragedy that lurked on Pepper Hill Mountain. Arriving at the ‘front’ we began cleaning a path at the foot of the mountain. After progressing about fifty feet and starting a back fire, we were ordered to go to the head of the fire and work downhill. About three-fourths of the way to the top, nine of us fellows (the others had gone ahead) stopped to take a rest; one of the lads biting into a sandwich he had hidden in his shirt. Looking back he screamed, dropped his sandwich and then fainted. Waves upon waves of red and yellow flames, only a hundred feet away, were eating their way to the top of Pepper Hill --- ready in a few seconds to devour us. Instantly the picture of the back fire we had ignited at the foot of the hill flashed through my mind; it has jumped the path and, driven by a fresh wind, had taken to the trees and madly charged toward us. To run ahead of the flames was futile; they would easily catch us. On the three remaining sides the red headless monster leaped and laughed as they threw heavenward showers of sparks and clouds of smoke and came fatally closer. SMOKE! SPARKS! FLAMES! FLESH! I dropped my tank shut my eyes, mumbled a short prayer and ran directly into the face of the back fire. In semi-daze I dragged my weary feet and burned body until completely fatigued; scorched and parched with thirst, I fell exhausted at the foot of a tree. A long time later, it seemed like eternity, I regained consciousness, hearing one of my buddies screaming at the top of his voice, as though his lungs were about to 5 Photo Courtesy of Dan LeCrone, PA DCNR burst, lying only five feet away from me. He was terribly burned; I could scarcely recognize him. A hundred feet away another of the crew was lying on the ground, his face buried in the earth. The fire was dying. With my two companions we began trudging back to the road. After several short steps, one, whose clothing was entirely burned off him, dropped naked and exhausted. Could we carry him? Help him? We tried, but his listless body weighted tons. After a few attempts we had no alternative but to attempt to get through ourselves. Reaching the road, I frantically quenched my thirst with water from the kegs carried on the truck. With a passing motorist we rode to the Bucktail Veterans Camp and then, minutes later, was raced in an ambulance to the Renovo Hospital. After three weeks in Renovo, I was moved to the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D. C. where I was a patient for two months. Receiving my discharge, I went back to the Hunts Run Camp and was on quarters for the following month. A few weeks later, still bearing scars on both hands and legs, I was transferred to Camp S-125, Elimsport, PA, to attend the Central Shop School, where I am at present. Of that fire crew of nine men, six perished in the flames, one lived one day, another two weeks--- only I was fortunate enough to survive the disaster. Never does a day pass that I fail to thank Providence for my extremely good fortune --- to have seen death face to face and lived.”

 From Left to Right: Basil Bogush and Andy Richnafsky. Andy survived the fire and attended the 70th Anniversary of the Pepper Hill Fire.

From Left to Right: Mr. Klees, Newspaper Employee; Charles Baer, District Forester during the Pepper Hill fire; General Paul Malone, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Army Corps; Unidentified Army Personnel. Both photos are Courtesy of the Cameron County Historical Society

On March 15, 1939, disciplinary action for the staff of the Hunts Run CCC Camp was recommended after deliberation following the investigation of the events at the Pepper Hill Fire. Two of them received 30 days leave without pay, one was demoted from superintendent to foreman and the last was dismissed altogether. This direction came directly from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture at the time.

Now, I’d like to add some discussion points from the NWCG website for you to consider, by yourself or with your crew, etc. You are also welcome to answer them in the comments to spark discussion here.

Training – Most of the enrollees received little or no formal training.  They were expected to learn what to do on the job.

• Most of us will work with new firefighters who have little or no experience. It is not reasonable or safe to assume they will learn everything on the fireline. How will your crew prepare new members for success?

Fatigue – Many of the enrollees assigned to the Pepper Hill Fire had just returned to camp from other fires at 0530 that morning.

• Though we now have work/rest guidelines to help prevent fatigue, a long fire season can still take its toll on even the fittest firefighter. What signs might we see in our crew members that could indicate fatigue?
• What impact can fatigue have on your crew, and what can you do to lessen the associated risks?

Tactics – The original plan to use the road as an anchor point seems sound, but poor choices were made on the right flank when the crew moved to the head and abandoned their burnout.

• Without aviation support, would your crew engage this fire? If so, how?
• Though not a sound decision at Pepper Hill, describe conditions where, while ensuring safety, attacking the head of a fire could be a viable tactic.

Crew Cohesion – The CCC Enrollees had not worked many fires together.  On their way up the hill, they became separated due to differences in physical ability.  There were no indications that their crew leader gave them any direction during this critical time.

• No firefighter intends to get into a bad situation. We all train to avoid them, but what if? How would you and your crew manage the safety of all firefighters if faced with a similar situation? 

Fire Prevention Week: Smokey Bear

Many of you may know the story of Smokey Bear, but we’d like to take a little bit of time to post Smokey’s story during prevention week because let’s face it – Smokey is THE prevention icon. So, without further ado, right from Smokey’s website, his story:

“Smokey Bear was born on August 9, 1944, when the USDA Forest Service and the Ad Council agreed that a fictional bear named Smokey would be their symbol for forest fire prevention.

Artist Albert Staehle was asked to paint the first poster of Smokey Bear. It showed Smokey pouring a bucket of water on a campfire and saying, “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 fires.” Smokey Bear soon became very popular, and his image appeared on a lot of forest fire prevention materials. In 1947 his slogan became the familiar “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!”, which was later updated to be “Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires!”

Then in the spring of 1950, in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, a young bear cub found himself caught in a burning forest. He climbed a tree to survive, but he was still badly burned. The firefighters who retrieved him were so moved by his bravery, that they named him Smokey.

News about this real bear named Smokey spread across the nation, and he was soon given a new home at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. As the living symbol of Smokey Bear, he played an important role in spreading messages of wildfire prevention and forest conservation. Smokey died in 1976 and was returned to Capitan, New Mexico, where he is buried at the State Historical Park, now called Smokey Bear Historical Park.”

Even though Smokey has brown fur in all his portrayals, he is in fact a black bear weighing over 300 pounds. When he was born, he only weighed about as much as a loaf of bread (1.5 pounds). He’s even been to outer space.

Did you know that you can write Smokey a letter? He even has his own zip code! Here’s his address:

Smokey Bear

Washington, D.C. 20252

He also has a Twitter (X) handle: @smokey_bear

Fire Prevention Week: Defensible Space

We’ve talked about the proper precautions and preparations to take while debris burning, so let’s take a look at how to prepare your home for wildfires. For today we will go over some simple steps, if you want to go more in-depth, please refer to our series on the Home Ignition Zone please click here for the first installment.

Keep flammable objects at least 30 feet away from the house, especially lawnmowers (or similar equipment), gas and oil cans (this includes propane tanks), and wood piles. If you have toys and lawn furniture near the house, move them 30 feet away during times of wildfire activity.

Next, take the time to clean roofs, gutters, decks, and patios clear of leaf litter, pine needles, or any other flammable debris. Remember we have a spring AND fall fire season here in Pennsylvania, so on top of spring cleaning keep those fresh falling leaves caught up with.

I love a good flower bed as much as the next person, but here are some tips to make them a little more safe. Keep the vegetation a minimum of 5 feet from your home, and in that space use nonflammable material such as rocks (pick a pretty color, we won’t judge). Keep any dead vegetation and litter cleaned out of your flower beds and landscaped areas.

Next, look up and around, and remove any branches from trees or shrubs that overhang within 10 feet of your house, roof, or chimney.

Keep lawns watered and mowed. If you don’t water your lawn due to water conservation or no need to, make sure you keep debris cleared within 30 feet of your home.

Now, to prevent crown fires and torching, trim branches off of trees up to 10 feet high. This eliminates ladder fuels that would allow fires to reach treetops.

Install 1/8-inch metal screens over vents and under decks to prevent embers from getting in, it would be beneficial to install them over gutters as well.

You can also Go to Firewise.org or LivingWithFire.info to learn more about how to prepare your home for wildfire.

Fire Prevention Week: Resilient Forests

“Wildfires are unplanned fires that burn in forests and other wildlands, such as shrub or grass communities. Preventing and fighting unwanted fires begins with understanding the science of how they start, and why they continue to be such a big problem. Why has the number of acres burned remained so high over the last few years?

Many factors are involved in the increase in the number and size of wildfires:

• Increased complexity of implementing fire suppression, especially with the increased residential development in the wildland urban interface (WUI).

• Increased complexity of implementing fuels treatment programs has resulted in hazardous accumulations of forest and rangeland debris, and fuels such as fallen leaves, branches, excessive plant overgrowth, ladder fuels, and dead vegetation. “Ladder fuels” are positioned so that fire can spread from low to medium to high vegetation (for example from grass to bushes to trees). On a single tree, the fire can spread from ground level branches to mid branches and eventually to the crowns (tops) of the trees.

• Climate change is producing drier and hotter weather patterns and longer 'fire seasons.'

Overcrowded stands and drought patterns result in cyclical insect and disease outbreaks, which create large areas of dead and dying wood” (Fire Science | Smokey Bear).

One goal of fire mitigation is to create resilient forests, or rather bring back resilient forests. These healthy, thriving ecosystems are less vulnerable to extreme wildfires (the ones that ruin watersheds, destroy wildlife habitat, and even risk lives), and they are able to adapt to climate change, invasive species and insect infestations.

If we humans collectively have done one thing too well, it’s been keeping fire out of our wildlands. The result of this is to leave forests and grasslands just packed with flammable fuels.

A strategy to restore these resilient forests includes thinning crowded forests and implementing prescribed fire. This is being utilized by the US Forest Service and their partners on two to three million acres each year.

“Assessments of more than 1,400 fuel treatments since 2006 have shown that they are effective in reducing both the cost and damage from wildfires. In certain locations, when conditions are right, we will even manage naturally caused wildfires to perform their natural role in controlling fuel buildup, rejuvenating vegetation, and restoring ecosystems that benefit from fire. Thinning, prescribed fires, and managing naturally caused wildfires to achieve natural resource management objectives can help prevent extreme wildfires with minimal impacts to air quality while smoke from extreme wildfires may pose significant risks to public health and safety” (US Forest Service).

To read a brief article about the success of having thinned fuels in an area before a wildfire click here.

According to the Fire Defenders Blog, fire is so important for the health of many ecosystems that it is sometimes referred to as a keystone process. Like a keystone species, a keystone process has a disproportionate influence on an ecosystem and removing such a process dramatically changes an ecosystem’s ability to remain healthy and diverse. Restoring natural fire regimes is necessary for long-term sustainable management that protects both humans and wildlife, to read more about fire as a keystone process click here.

 

 

Fire Prevention Week: Debris Burning Safety

Welcome back for day two of Fire Prevention Week! Today we would like to take the time to discuss the primary cause of wildfires here in Pennsylvania: Debris Burning. As of September 28, 2023, there have been 862 wildfires caused by debris burning in 2023, burning a total of 1,089 acres across the Commonwealth.

Last year across the nation, 87% of the 68,988 wildfires reported were caused by humans and those fires burned more than 3 million acres (according to nifc.gov).

With that, let's take some time to learn how to properly burn debris.

The first and most important step is to check the current and future conditions. Don’t burn when it’s windy or vegetation is dry. Wind can easily carry embers or burning pieces of light debris to a new area, and if that area is dry, it can create a spot fire that can spread.

So, you’ve decided that conditions are right to burn, the next thing you should do is check your local regulations, as well as make sure there are no burn bans in place (contacting your local fire department should be your first route for that). Some local municipalities may even require you to have a permit to burn your debris.

Okay, you’re all clear on weather and regulation-wise, now take a look at what you are planning to burn. You can burn dry, natural vegetation grown on your property – unless it’s prohibited by local ordinances. Household trash, plastic, and tires are not good to burn and can be illegal in some areas.

Let’s combine steps four and five while we pick a location to burn. Look up and look around. Choose a safe site away from powerlines, overhanging limbs, buildings, vehicles, and equipment. A general rule of thumb is that you need at least three times the vertical height of your pile in vertical clearance. For at least ten feet around your pile, the site should be down to gravel or mineral soil. Keep the surroundings watered down and always have a shovel within reach.

Always keep your piles small and manageable. Add more debris as the previous debris burns down.

Now a moment to talk specifically about burn barrels: make sure it’s made entirely of metal and has at least three evenly spaced, three-inch vents, as well as a metal screen placed on top (this is to help reduce embers and pieces of debris flying away).

Another very important step: always stay with your fire until it is COMPLETELY out. Drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with that shovel you keep handy, then drown it again. Repeat this process several times.

Finally, remember to take the time to check the burn area regularly over the next several days, or even a couple of weeks after the burn – especially if the weather becomes warm, dry, and windy.

Fire Prevention Week 2023 - Introduction

Hello again everyone! This week may look a little different for those of you who have been following us for some time, if you’re just joining us – welcome, let’s try something new together!

“Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires. Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.” – National Fire Protection Association website, which also includes this neat little video on the history of the Great Chicago Fire (click that link if you want to give it a watch).

This week is Fire Prevention Week, and we would like to participate – with our own spin on things wildfire related. This year the National Fire Protection Association’s campaign is “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” Which focuses on educating folks about simple, important actions they can take while cooking to keep themselves and other safe. Obviously, we are a wildfire blog, so our posts will look different than what is on their website. However, if you’re interested in the cooking campaign, feel free to click here.

You might recall from one of our earlier posts that Pennsylvania has a bimodal fire season – well, we are starting into our second fire season here in the fall. So, let’s take the time this week to learn about how we can prevent unwanted wildfires and how fire can be an important part of maintaining diverse and healthy ecosystems.

Naturally over time litter collects on the forest floor, this can be a hinderance to the germination of many plants because the seeds can’t reach the mineral soil. Meanwhile new shrubs and seedlings begin to grow. As these get bigger, they obscure natural sunlight and can choke other species that aren’t adapted to shade tolerance.

Now, one of two things can be done here: a prescribed fire can be implemented under the supervision of experts, or it’s left alone.

What would that prescribed fire do in this ecosystem? Before excessive litter builds up a low-intensity burn occurs, removing all that litter and exposes the soil just enough for those seeds to germinate and grow. After the burn certain fire-dependent vegetation thrives, competition is reduced, destructive insects and diseases are controlled, and the build up of excessive fuels is eliminated.

Now, let’s rewind that tape and remove the prescribed fire. What happens then? More and more time passes without fire, resulting in a build up of excessive fuels on the forest floor, trees and shrubs grow larger – vistas close making the forest denser and darker. This makes it so fewer new species can prosper, creating a monoculture. Then when an unplanned fire finally occurs (this could be from a lightning strike or a careless individual) it finds enough fuel to turn into an intense, raging wildfire that can quickly get out of control. The aftermath of this kind of fire can be quite severe because more often than not a forest and all of its organic materials are completely incinerated, leaving very little behind. While the forest will eventually regenerate, but it could take years or even decades depending on the intensity of the fire that burned through. 

Fire-Adapted Ecosystems

Across the nation there are several different types of ecosystems that are fire-adapted – they depend on periodic fires. Fires promote plant and wildlife diversity as well as burning away the amassed live and dead plant material. We will obviously focus on the ones in Pennsylvania, but here are the types in other regions of the United States:

• Ponderosa Pine (Northwest and Intermountain West)
• Chaparral (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of the Rocky Mountains)
• Lodgepole Pine Communities (Rocky Mountains)
• Boreal Forest and Tundra (Alaska)
• Midwest Prairie (Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and the Ohio Valley)
• Jack Pine Communities (Great Lakes Region)
• Southern Pine Communities (Texas east to Florida and north to Maryland)

There are two ecosystems in Pennsylvania:

Pitch Pine Barrens

Range for the Pitch Pine, which can have the pitch pine barrens ecosystem

This ecosystem is pretty common in the northeastern states, especially in areas with sandy soils, on average natural fires will occur in the barrens every 6-25 years. One characteristic of these fires is that they tend to be severe crown fires that are pushed by the wind from treetop to treetop. The main species that makes up this ecosystem is the Pitch Pine, which has this thick bark that protects it from heat and makes it so it can sprout back after a fire. These trees also reproduce with serotinous cones, which are cones that are opened by fire. The barrens are often home to many different rare plants, insects, turtles, and frogs – some of which require fire to shape their habitat or to be able to survive the competition from other animals. If there are extended periods of time where there are no fires in the barrens, large amounts of dead wood and pine needles can accumulate making the next fire possibly too severe for the pines and other organisms to survive.

Oak-Hickory Forests

Bet you can’t walk outside without seeing an oak tree in Pennsylvania (or at least the eastern half)! That’s because this is one of the most common ecosystems in Pennsylvania, as well as West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and many, many other states. Natural fires tend to occur in Oak-Hickory forests every 25 years or less. Native Americans burned some of these forests regularly, possibly even every year or two. Like Pitch Pine, most of our oaks have thick bark which allows them to survive surface fires – plus oaks and hickories both sprout from the base of the trunk after a fire burns through the area. Fires in this ecosystem remove shade and deep litter packs on the forest floor, which creates some of the best conditions for these trees to reproduce. You see, oaks and hickories are shade intolerant (they won’t grow well is shady conditions) so if they are in an area where the forest doesn’t burn for a long time, they could easily be overtopped by more shade-tolerant species.

Take time to remember that when fires burn at the appropriate intervals for their ecosystems it can trigger the rebirth of forests, eventually helping to maintain our native plant life.

“Fire managers can reintroduce fire into fire-dependent ecosystems with prescribed fire. Under specific, controlled conditions, the beneficial effects of natural fire can be recreated, fuel buildup can be reduced, and we can prevent the catastrophic losses of uncontrolled, unwanted wildfire.

Regardless of the benefits of occasional natural fires under specific conditions, remember Smokey's ABCs: Always Be Careful with Fire. Smokey wants you to be responsible when you use fire. It is still wrong and irresponsible to play with matches, throw lighted cigarettes away, or use equipment without proper spark arrestors, or leave any kind of fire unattended.”

Some of the other ecosystems are pretty interesting to read about, but since they don’t apply to Pennsylvania, we won’t be including them here. However, if you want to read more please feel free to click here to go to the Smokey Bear website and learn more!