Research Paper RMRS-RP-9
Fire Behavior Associated with the 1994 South Canyon Fire on Storm
King Mountain, Colorado
Research Paper RMRS-RP-9
Fire Behavior Associated with the 1994 South Canyon Fire on Storm King Mountain, Colorado
Appendix B: Chronology, Fire Behavior, Weather, Distances, Firefighter Travel Rates, and Fire Spread Rates
Table B-1--Chronology, fire behavior, and weather.
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| 1800 | South Canyon Fire ignited by lightning. | Jo Temple | |
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| 1000 | Observer in South Canyon calls in fire. Unsure which side of the river it is on. Tentatively called South Canyon. | Putnam | |
| 1030 | Call to Sheriff accurately locates fire on north side of river on BLM land. | Jo Temple | |
| 1100 | Sheriff reports South Canyon Fire to BLM. | SCR | |
| 1410 | Sheriff's office reports fire at half an acre and very active and Sheriff approves use of aircraft. | SCR | |
| 1416 | BLM dispatch requests one load of smokejumpers, an air tanker (T-140), and lead plane (64) to initial attack fire. | SCR | |
| 1508 | Dispatcher cancels initial attack, routes smokejumpers to another fire. | Fire 1.5 acres in size and burning in continuous fuels. | SCR |
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| 1200 | Fire covers approximately 3 acres. | SCR | |
| 1450 | Local resident reports increased fire activity. | SCR | |
| 1630 | BLM crew watches fire from freeway. Decides to wait until morning to initial attack. | ||
| 2109 | Aerial observer reports fire burning in all directions. Recommends bucket drops. | SCR | |
| 2200 | Fire covers about 11 acres. | SCR | |
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| 0630 | BLM crew (Blanco and six firefighters) start up East Drainage. | SCR | |
| 0819 | Blanco requests more resources. | Fire reported to be 29 acres in size. | SCR |
| 1500 | Air tanker makes drop on freeway side of fire. | SCR | |
| 1730 | BLM firefighters start to exit area via West Drainage to repair saws. | SCR | |
| 1745 | Eight smokejumpers orbit fire; they jump in light, erratic winds. Mackey is Jumper-in-Charge and is in radio contact with Blanco. | Fire 30 acres in size, smokejumpers report erratic winds | SCR Doehring |
| 1944 | Mackey reports fire burning actively. | Active burning | SCR |
| 2000 | Smokejumpers start building fireline down east side of Main Ridge. | SCR | |
| 2230 | BLM firefighter crew finish repairing saws and gear. | Fire covers 50 acres. | SCR |
| 2300 | Mackey requests two Type-1 crews. | SCR | |
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| 0030 | Eight smokejumpers stop building line due to poor footing and rolling rocks. | SCR | |
| 0300 | Fire burning actively. | SCR | |
| 0530- 0630 |
Eleven person BLM/USFS crew start up East Drainage to fire. Blanco is Incident Commander (IC). | Ryerson | |
| 0528 | Mackey requests helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. | SCR | |
| 0800 | Blanco's crew (BLM/USFS) reach Main Ridge and construct second helispot (H-2). | SCR | |
| 0815 | Smokejumpers and BLM crew begin building fireline between H-2 and H-1. | SCR | |
| 0845 | Blanco and Mackey plan strategy and tactics. | SCR | |
| 0930 | Helicopter 93R arrives.
Blanco, Tyler, and Mackey take a recon flight. Mackey tells smokejumpers
to start building fireline down the West Flank. Smokejumpers question decision and request discussion. |
Smoke observed low in West Drainage. | SCR |
| *1027 | Eight more smokejumpers arrive over fire. Jumper-in-Charge Hipke requests that Longanecker become Jumper-in-Charge for this plane load. | Very little wind. Fire covers about 127 acres. | SCR |
| 1113 | Completed jumping and cargo drop. | SCR | |
| 1130 | Combined smokejumper crews start down route flagged by Mackey. Longanecker is line scout. | SCR | |
| 1135 | Firefighters discuss pulling out of West Flank Fireline. | Tree 40 yards below main ridge torches. 5-ft wide run through Gambel oak burns to the top of the ridge. Water drops cool it. | Petrilli Doehring |
| 1200 | Prineville Hotshots arrive at Canyon Creek Estates helibase. | SCR | |
| 1230 | Ten Prineville Hotshots leave helibase for H-2. | SCR | |
| 1300 | Most firefighters retreat 400 ft to the Tree. Water drops are effective so group returns to the Stump and continues working. | Fire flares up on West Flank. The tree that flares up is cut down, leaving the Stump. | SCR |
| 1330 | Nine Prineville Hotshots
start down West Flank Fireline, Kelso in charge, meet smokejumpers
at Stump. |
Scholz | |
| 1400 |
Scholz and second half of Prineville Hotshots at Canyon Creek Estates.
West Flank Fireline Group and smokejumpers eat lunch on Lunch Spot Ridge. |
Strong gusty winds, overcast
skies. Front approaching. Windsock horizontal (15 miles per hour winds). |
Scholz
SCR |
| 1415- 1430 |
Scholz calls Shepard to report increased wind and fire becoming more active. Shepard confirms it was windy on Main Ridge. | Increased smoke on fireline low in canyon and south of fireline below crew. | Scholz Photos: Frey |
| 1445 | Longanecker starts down Double Draw to scout fireline. | Hotspots in Double Draws. | SCR |
| 1510 | Longanecker calls for sawyers. A few jumpers start to move south from Lunch Spot and east in to Double Draws. | Flareup in Double Draws. | Petrilli, SCR |
| 1515 | Scholz and second half of Prinevile Hotshots arrive at H-2. Blanco, Shepard, Scholz confer. | Squirrely winds on H-2. Winds very light at Zero Point. | SCR |
| 1520 | Cold front arrives. Steadily increasing but erratic winds. | SCR | |
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| 1530 | Second half of Prineville crew lined out on Main Ridge. Start at H-2 improving line toward H-1. Told to make it 20 ft wide. | When firefighters throw brush up into air on Main Ridge, strong winds blow it over ridge to east. | Scholz |
| Scholz carries 2 cubitainers of water down West Flank Fireline. Haugh and Brixey about 150 ft below Zero Point. | Winds gusty on top of line. No wind down West Flank Fireline. Sun begins to break through. | Scholz | |
| Some BLM/USFS eat lunch on Main Ridge, others working near H-1. | Calm wind, fire burning in litter under oak brush. | Byers | |
| Doehring, Erickson, sent by Mackey to go back toward Main Ridge and hotspot line. Hipke working along the fireline from Lunch Spot toward Zero Point. Most of the West Flank Group working between 1450 and 1880 ft from Zero Point. | Winds pick up on Lunch Spot Ridge but subside on West Flank Fireline. | SCR, Erickson Doehring |
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| 1539 | Scholz meets Roth at stump (850 ft). They move log off line and talk briefly. | No wind on West Flank. Sunny, skies clearing. | Scholz Time: Putnam |
| 1545 | Longanecker gets water drop. Smokejumpers spread between Lunch Spot and Petrilli Photo Point. | Continued fire activity south of the Double Draws. | Petrill Longanecker |
| Some members of BLM crew take break at base of rocks under H-1. | Wind at rocks calm to 5 miles per hour. | Byers | |
| Scholz leaves water with Roth and starts back up line to Main Ridge. | No wind on West Flank, fire calm. Sunny on West Flank. | Scholz | |
| 1553 | Scholz at top of Main Ridge. | Winds blowing about 45 miles per hour from the west. | Scholz Photo: Shepard |
| 1554 | Ryerson requests next water drop to go to main ridge. | Spot crosses Main Ridge fireline and burning actively in green fuel. Spot fire on west side of Main Ridge, 200 ft south of Zero Point getting active. | Ryerson Byers Scholz |
| 1555 | Erickson and Doehring move up West Flank Fireline, meet Roth at 850 feet. Roth says he will take water on toward Lunch Spot. | Wind and fire calm on West Flank. | Erickson Doehring |
| Ryerson gets water drop on Main Ridge but water blew to east and misses fire. Pilot leaves to get another bucket of water. | Spot fire active on Main Ridge south of Zero Point. Winds on Main Ridge estimated at 35 miles per hour. | Ryerson Good Photo: Shepard |
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| Petrilli and other smokejumpers south of Lunch Spot photograph crown fire south of Double Draws area. Call to Longanecker to pull out. | Increased winds south of Lunch Spot (estimated at 35 miles per hour). Fire spreads rapidly upslope in pinyon-juniper and firs within fire perimeter. Three fire runs occur, flames are about 100 ft long. | Petrilli Longanecker |
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| 1556 | Good sees spot fires in West Drainage. Heard firefighters talking about spots. | Numerous spot fires near bottom of West Drainage. | Good |
| 1558 | Erickson and Doehring leave Roth and start up West Flank Fireline. | No wind on West Flank. | Erickson Doehring |
| 1600 | Scholz requests Main Ridge Group move to Zero Point to help with spot fire. | Skies clear overhead, clouds over Storm King Mt. Winds 45 miles per hour from the west. Fire runs inside perimeter. | Scholz |
| Wind blows Byer's hat off near spot fire on Main Ridge. | SCR Byers |
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| Roth left Stump with cubitainer of water. | Time: Putnam | ||
| 1601 | Eight smokejumpers 630 ft south of Lunch Spot. Longanecker lower on the south side of Double Draws. | Smoke in bottom of West Drainage below smokejumpers. Main Ridge spot fire active in brush across line. | Photos: Petrilli Shepard Good |
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| 1602 | Petrilli sees fire 35 yds north of base of Double Draws, calls Mackey. Mackey tells them to get out of draws. Petrilli and other smokejumpers hike toward Lunch Spot. | Fire starts rapid run up the east-facing slope across the West Drainage from smokejumpers. Fire also burning up the West Drainage. Petrilli estimates winds of 35 miles per hour at his location. | Petrilli |
| 1603- 1607 |
Someone calls dispatch requesting retardant, heard to say "we have a real bad situation here." | Longanecker | |
| 1604 | Kelso calls Shepard to report spot fire had crossed West Drainage below West Flank Fireline Group. Shepard, "Get out of there."Kelso, "We are on our way." Scholz, "Things are getting complicated." | Fire in West Drainage. Strong winds on Main Ridge, Spot fire on Main Ridge is active | Shepard Scholz |
| Roth meets Thrash, Hipke, Hagen on West Flank Fireline at 1,450 ft. Talked 30 sec then saw column. | Column of smoke in West Drainage behind (south of) and below Lunch Spot Ridge. | Erickson Hipke |
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| Shepard relays message about spot fire to Main Ridge Group, Blanco relays to Ryerson, Mackey. Gray checks his watch. Statement by Main Ridge Group individuals "remember this time." | Strong winds. | Scholz Gray-SCR |
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| Erickson and Doehring meet Archuleta on West Flank Fire line near 450 ft, they hear order to get out. | No wind on West Flank but building column of smoke visible to south over West Drainage. | Erickson Doehring |
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| Blanco and Shepard at H-2 tell crews on Main Ridge at Zero Point to go to H-1. | Column building in West Drainage. | Photo: Shepard | |
| 1605 | Three smokejumpers and West Flank Fireline Group leave 1,450 ft with Thrash, Roth, Hipke Hipke and Hagen. | Column of smoke noticeably bigger. | Erickson |
| Last water drop on Main Ridge. Good sees very large column and spots, returns to helibase to drop bucket so that he can ferry firefighters off hill. | Column greatly increases in size, west winds 45 miles per hour or greater over Main Ridge. Chin strap needed on hard-hats. | Good Ryerson |
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| Crews at Zero Point on Main Ridge start moving toward H-1 through cooled spot fire. | Bucket drop cooled spot on Main Ridge. Winds very strong. | Scholz | |
| Thirty smokejumpers arrive by bus 1/4 mile west of base of West Drainage. They go to Canyon Creek Estates when fire blows up. | |||
| 1606 | Erickson, Doehring, and Archuleta at Tree, they meet Haugh and Brixey. Tells Haugh of order to go to H-1. Haugh calls Blanco about spot fire across drainage, Blanco responds to get out. | Gray-black smoke in column, then flames reach top of east-facing slopes across West Drainage from jumpers. Fire is moving north up the drainage. | Doehring Erickson Brixey Haugh |
| Petrilli and seven smokejumpers meet Mackey 100 ft below Lunch Spot. Mackey tells smokejumpers to head up ridge toward H-1. | Fire rolls up the east-facing slopes across West Drainage. Winds blowing 45 miles per hour. | Petrilli Thomas Shepard |
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| 1607 | Mackey checks on Longanecker by radio then moves north toward West Flank Fireline Group. | Time: Putnam Longanecker |
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| Hipke near Stump at 830 ft. Sees fire on their (east) side of West Drainage. | Fire on West Bench north of Lunch Spot Ridge. Fire front forms a "U" shape in bottom and up both sides of West Drainage. | Hipke Time: Putnam |
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| Petrilli and seven smokejumpers pass Lunch Spot and continue toward H-1. | Time: Putnam | ||
| 1608 | Mackey at 1,450 ft, running. | Fire on West bench behind Mackey. | Time: Putnam |
| Doehring, Archuleta, Brixey head to top of West Flank Fireline. | |||
| 1608:30 | Haugh, Erickson hear fire roar. They see first smokejumpers in West Flank Fireline Group coming across top of Spur Ridge. | Fire on Bench near Jumper Start Point (1,450 ft) and near West Flank Fireline. | Haugh Erickson Time: Putnam |
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| 1608:40 | Hipke on top of Spur Ridge (680 ft), sees Mackey at end of West Flank Fireline Group. | Fire's northward spread keeping pace with northward movement of firefighter crews. Fire crosses the West Flank Fireline near 1,450 ft. | Hipke Time: Putnam |
| 1609 | Main Ridge Group, BLM/USFS group near Rocks on Main Ridge. Scholz commands Hotshot Crew to "Reverse and move!" Ryerson tells her Crew to go to H-2. | Fire rapidly moving up slope toward Rocks and H-1. | Robertson Scholz Byers Time: Putnam |
| A jumper radios "We're headed for a good spot." Sounds winded, urgent. | Shepard | ||
| 1610 | Walking steadily from the Double Draws, Longanecker arrives at Lunch Spot. | Time: Putnam | |
| Doehring, Archuleta, Brixey reach Main Ridge. First part of Main Ridge Group passing Zero Point on their way to H-2. | Doehring Time: Putnam |
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| Erickson, who is at the Tree, sees hardhats of the West Flank Fireline Group as they cross over Spur Ridge. Thrash is in the lead and Mackey is second to last in line. Erickson can see fire behind and below the hardhats. He and Haugh yell at the firefighters to go faster. Erickson calls Mackey to tell him about the fire behind the Spur Ridge. | Fire front burning on south side of Spur Ridge near Stump. | Time: Putnam | |
| 1610:30 | Thrash nears Draw (445 ft), says "Shelters?" Hipke keeps moving up fireline. | Hipke | |
| Erickson sees Spot Fire down the slope directly west and below the West Flank Fireline Group. | Spot Fire is burning on northwest corner of West Bench, about 75 ft north of the Draw that runs down the slope from the Tree to the West Drainage. Growing rapidly. | Erickson Time: Putnam |
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| Erickson at Tree (200 ft) radios Mackey to warn him about Spot Fire. | Fire on south side of Spur Ridge "roars" as it burns up the slope past the Stump and crosses the fireline. | Erickson Time: Putnam |
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| 1610:45 | Archuleta and Doehring at Photo Point on Main Ridge. Archuleta asks Doehring for her camera. Haugh and Erickson at Tree. Erickson asks Haugh to get his (Erickson's) camera out of his pack. | Fire burning uphill behind Spur Ridge near Stump and across west slopes of West Drainage. | Erickson Time: Putnam |
| 1611 | Blanco at H-2 calls Dispatch and says that they are losing the fire and to send air tankers. | Blanco | |
| Archuleta and Doehring on Main Ridge 110 ft north of top of West Flank Fireline at Photo Point, Archuleta takes two photos of Mackey and two of the firefighters located about 580 ft down the fireline from the Zero Point. Doehring takes two photos of same area then starts moving to H-2. | Sky is orange. | Photos: Archuleta Doehring Time: Putnam |
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| Erickson at Tree frames one photo at similar angle to Archuleta, but is out of film. | Erickson Time: Putnam |
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| 1611:15 | Haugh, Erickson start up fireline. Hipke at 325 ft. Archuleta walks to the "Y" (a fork in the trail located about 60 ft south of the Zero Point). | Fire "roars" on way up to Main Ridge south of Spur Ridge. | Erickson Archuleta Time: Putnam |
| 1612 | Hipke at Tree (200 ft). | Time: Putnam | |
| Helicopter approaches H-2, pilot sees firefighters running north along Main Ridge, towering smoke column obscures area to the south near H-1. | Fire along top of Main Ridge between H-1 and Spur Ridge, 150 to 200 ft flame lengths. | Good | |
| Last of Main Ridge Group and Byers pass top of West Flank Fireline (Zero Point) and follow trail that drops off east side of ridge on a contour toward H-2. | Fire front at base of Spur Ridge about to enter draw below "Tree." | Time: Putnam |
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| 1612:15 | Roth and Thrash start to deploy. West Flank Fireline Group stop behind them. | Time: Putnam | |
| Scholz, about 80 ft north of Zero Point, looks back to southwest and sees fire "curling" over the ridge behind firefighter running down the trail toward him. | Fire on south side of Spur Ridge crests Main Ridge 150 to 200 ft south of Zero Point. | Scholz | |
| 1612:30 | Haugh crosses over Main Ridge at top of West Flank Fireline and starts down into the East Drainage. Haugh receives slight burns. | Hot air and radiant heat in area near top of West Flank Fireline as fire crests the Spur Ridge. Fires active on Main Ridge. Wind blowing toward H-2. | Erickson, Haugh, Scholz, Robertson Time: Putnam |
| Blecha steps around West Flank Fireline Group and continues up fireline. | Time: Putnam | ||
| 1612:45 | Erickson crosses over the Main Ridge at the top of the fireline and receives second degree burns. | ||
| 1613 | Doehring reaches H-2, heads into East Drainage. | Smoke and sparks in air. | Doehring Time: Putnam |
| Archuleta and Robertson walk on Main Ridge trail near Photo Point and feel heat. | Hot air or radiant heat, smoke and sparks on top of Main Ridge. | Robertson Time: Putnam |
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| Shepard, Blanco, Browning, Tyler move red bags near H-2. | Shepard | ||
| 1613:15 | Scholz approaches H-2 from trail on east side of Main Ridge. | Dolmars on Main Ridge between Photo Point and H-2 explode. | Scholz |
| 1613:30 | Ryerson feels heat at H-2. Saws and dolmars left near red bags. | Ryerson Byers Robertson |
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| Fire overruns and kills 12 members of West Flank Fireline Group (200 to 280 ft down West Flank Fireline from Zero Point). | Fire, hot gases and smoke at bottom of fatality site. | Time: Putnam | |
| Tyler, Browning run north of H-2 along Main Ridge. | |||
| 1613:45 | Blecha caught by hot gases/flames. He dies 121 ft from top of Main Ridge. | Time: Putnam | |
| 1614 | Blast of hot air hits Hipke, he hits ground 15 ft west of Zero Point. Hipke gets up, removes pack as he crosses east edge of Main Ridge and headed down into East Drainage. Hipke receives third degree burns over 10 percent of his body. | Hot air, flames, and smoke on Main Ridge between H-1 and Zero Point. | Hipke Time: Putnam |
| Main Ridge Group, BLM/USFS, Smokejumpers heading off Main Ridge into East Drainage. | Heat pushes firefighters over edge of Main Ridge. | Ryerson, Scholz, Byers, Good |
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| 1614:30 | Last of Main Ridge Group below red bags head farther into East Drainage. | Smoke, hot air, sparks at H-2 and on red gear bags. Fusees with gear ignite. | Robertson Scholz Shepard Time: Putnam |
| 1615 | BLM/USFS, Main Ridge Group, Smokejumpers several hundred feet down East Drainage. Two helitack crewman cut off from East Drainage. | Flames near top of Main Ridge at H-2. Fire advances through saddle below Drop Zone and into top of East Drainage. Dolmars (probably near red bags) explode. | Navarro, Scholz, Byers, Ryerson Time: Putnam |
| Turbulence and smoke force helicopter to leave. | Good | ||
| 1618 | Six of eight jumpers hiking up ridge reached burned area on Lunch Spot Ridge below H-1. | Time: Putnam |
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| 1619 | Eight smokejumpers on Lunch Spot Ridge deploy fire shelters. They form two groups, six approximately 230 ft below edge of H-1, two others about 100 ft further down ridge. Jumpers call Mackey and get no response. | Petrilli | |
| 1622:30 | Two Helitack (Tyler and Browning) overrun and are killed in tight draw (1,960 ft northwest of H-2). | Fire advances to draw below rock outcrop northwest of H-2. | Time: Putnam |
| 1624 | All eight smokejumpers under shelters. Petrilli checks his watch. | During next 45 minutes the fire makes three runs toward upper end of Double Draws approximately 500 ft south of eight smokejumpers. | Petrilli |
| 1715- 1730 |
Main Ridge Group, BLM/USFS, Smokejumpers reach I-70 freeway. | Firefighters moving down East Drainage, see spot fires in East Drainage. | Scholz Haugh |
| 1800 | Main Ridge Group, BLM/USFS, Smokejumpers on freeway taken to Glenwood Springs. Archuleta returns to helibase at Canyon Creek Estates. | Fire burns to mouth of East Drainage. | SCR |
| Longanecker hiked to Lunch Spot Ridge deployment site. Smokejumpers out of shelters, they spread out, some walk to West Flank Fireline fatality site and begin search and rescue. | Fire burns through entire West Flank, but area between Lunch Spot Ridge and H-2 is cool enough to walk through. | Petrilli | |
| 1900- 2000 |
Smokejumpers from Lunch Spot Ridge deployment site arrive at H-2. Archuleta and 25 or 26 smokejumpers are ferried in by helicopter to continue search and rescue. Smokejumpers from shelter deployment on Lunch Spot Ridge ferried from fire. Smokejumpers conducting search walk out West Drainage after dark. | Petrilli Little |
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| 2100 | Fire activity diminishes. Fire estimated to have burned 2,000 acres. |
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| Fire is declared controlled. | Total burned area is 2,115 acres. | Russo and Williams 1995, SCR |
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Title: Appendix B: Table B-1 RMRS-RP-9
- Fire Behavior Associated with the 1994 South Canyon Fire on
Storm King Mountain, Colorado
Publish Date: February 5, 1999
Last Update: December
22, 2005