Skip to main content

Stand 4 - Post Point

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Post received Clayton's note but could not help. The Ranger withdrew up the hill to the timberline and safety. Bert Sullivan took the lead while Post and Tyrrell brought up the rear.

The spot fire consumed the fuels above Post's crew cutting off their escape to timberline, thus making Post Point the men's best chance for survival. Five men panicked and ran downhill through the fire. Of these five, only one would survive. Post, Tyrrell, and Sullivan made every attempt possible to keep the men in place.  Of the 37 who stayed at Post Point, only 3 would perish.

Even with limited technology in 1937, there was an aerial reconnaissance flight that had identified spots along Trail Ridge and higher up on top of the mountain. The recon flight personnel never noticed a spot developing in the bottom of Clayton Gulch below the crews building line.

Given the fire's origin was a tree struck by lightning, could this passing storm have produced more than one strike in the area? If so, could the strike have remained undetected until winds were in alignment to increase the fire behavior? Previous winds were from the southwest and the spot is sheltered from these winds in the bottom of the drainage below. The passage of a dry cold front switched the winds to the northwest.

When dealing with spots, typically one looks in the predominate direction of the wind as to where they might be found (e.g., downwind). The documentation of the event describes the spots on Trail Ridge as within 100 feet of the main perimeter. One probably wasn't looking one-quarter to one-half mile away for a spot.

Today as we fight fire in lightning-prone areas, are we looking for the sleeper that may be established in a site that could, given optimal conditions, come to life in a hurry and cause a similar situation?

Paul Tyrrell knocked down some of the panicked men and lay down on top of them as a human shield to protect them from the fire behavior. A few days later, Paul's severe burns take his life; he passed away at 1300 on August 26, 1937.

Given the fire progression (see Map D above) and the general wind speeds/direction, the likelihood that the fire cast a spot more than a quarter of a mile perpendicular to the major runs during the evening of August 20 and the following morning would be minimal. This was modeled using fire behavior software BehavePlus. This combined with the fact that the spot was not noticed by aerial reconnaissance might lead one to propose the hypothesis that the "spot" wasn't a true spot but a holdover lightning strike. The significance of the difference between a spot and a holdover lightning strike is that firefighters, even today, typically look for spots either close to the fireline and/or downwind in the direction of the smoke column. Burning embers typically are found in the direction of the smoke column. A holdover lightning strike could be anywhere - in this case, below the existing fireline and most likely out of the path of any smoke column from the previous 24 hours.

The fire rushed uphill from the spot in two waves. The group on the ridge top tried to move around to avoid the flame fronts (see Map D above), but there was little room on the ridge. One of the survivors was quoted as saying, "Anywhere you moved, the flames and heat could get to you."

Fire behavior specialist A.A. Brown completed the fire behavior report for the Blackwater Fire. Mr. Brown identified the following factors as key to the blowup:

  1. The ragged edge of the fire.
  2. Underburning of surface fuels that pre-heated the canopy crown.
  3. The heavy fuel model that the fire burned in - today's fuel model 10.
  4. Undetected spot fires.
Photo of Johnny Levine

Interview excepts from Johnny J Levine, Civilian Conservation Crewmember who helped fight the Blackwater Fire and was trapped at Post Point: transcript.

Looking up the ridge at the approach to Post Point.

Looking up the ridge at the approach to Post Point.

 
The view looking back down from Post Point. This is where the majority of firefighters were trapped by the firestorm.

The view looking back down from Post Point. This is where the majority of firefighters were trapped by the firestorm.

The plaque for the Post Point memorial. This is at the location where the firefighters with Post sought refuge. This is the third memorial built by the CCCs in 1938.

The plaque for the Post Point memorial. This is at the location where the firefighters with Post sought refuge. This is the third memorial built by the CCCs in 1938.

 
Location (SRS)
POINT (-109.7333333 44.4138889)
Related Stand
Staff Ride to the Blackwater Fire

NWCG Latest Announcements

ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

Equipment Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee

FAQ Now Available for Archiving Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Positions

Date: Aug 6, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Incident and Position Standards Committee

To support the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), NWCG will archive all Type 1 and Type 2 Command and General Staff (C&G) position qualifications in January 2026, as outlined in NWCG Executive Board Memo 25-002. To assist with this transition, a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is now available.

This resource answers common questions about the status of Type 1 and Type 2 qualifications, impacts to incident qualification management, training requirements, and resource ordering considerations. Review the full FAQ to learn more.

For additional information on CIM and the transition of C&G positions, see NWCG Executive Board Memos 23-005, 24-005, and 25-002, as well as the Incident Workforce and Development Group webpage.

References:

NWCG Type 1 & Type 2 Position Archiving FAQ

NWCG Executive Board Correspondence

Incident Workforce Development Group

Incident and Position Standards Committee

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for UASD, UASM, UASL and UASP

Date: July 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all four Unmanned Aircraft Systems positions:

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist (UASD)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager (UASM)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader (UASL)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP)

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Position Page

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for RADO and INCM

Date: July 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Logistics Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Radio Operator (RADO) and Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Communications Center Manager Position Page