STORM KING MOUNTAIN FIRE - 1994

Storm King Fire (a.k.a. South Canyon Fire), Glenwood Springs, CO, July 6th, 1994 Excerpt: US Forest Service Investigation At 3:20 p.m.on July 6th, 1994 a dry cold front moved into the fire area. As winds and fire activity increased, the fire made several rapid runs with 100-foot flame lengths within the existing burn. At 4:00 p.m. the fire crossed the bottom of the west drainage and spread up the drainage on the west side. It soon spotted back across the drainage to the east side beneath the firefighters and moved onto steep slopes and into dense, highly flammable Gambel oak. Within seconds a wall of flame raced up the hill toward the firefighters on the west flank fireline. Failing to outrun the flames, 12 firefighters perished. Two helitack crew members on the top of the ridge also died when they tried to outrun the fire to the northwest. The remaining 35 firefighters survived by escaping out the east drainage or seeking a safety area and deploying their fire shelters.