Stand 1 - Highway Memorial
This memorial is dedicated to the brave men who perished during the Blackwater Fire of 1937.
The fire started on August 18, 1937 as the result of a passing lightning storm during the late afternoon. The point of origin was traced to a sub-alpine fire located on the west bank of Blackwater Creek approximately 4 miles from this point. The fire "slept" through the 19th and came to life the afternoon of August 20, 1937. Men of the Bureau of Public Roads Crew (BPR), the Wapiti Civilian Conservation Corps Crew (CCC - Company 1852) and the Lake (Yellowstone NPS) CCC Company arrived at the fire during the afternoon and evening of August 20th. Forest Supervisor Sieker and District Ranger Fifield, were the men in charge of the fire. They used direct attack tactics, as the strategy was to anchor and flank the fire. The expectation was that the fire would not grow appreciably during the night. However, about midnight the winds increased causing the fire behavior to increase and run up the drainage to the southeast of Trail Ridge. This was a short-lived run, but the fire continued to burn throughout the night. By next morning the aerial reconnaissance observed the entire drainage was consumed by crown fire behavior with two spot fires between Blind Creek the drainage to the East. Click to see Map A
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