Incident Name: debris burning
Date: March 16, 1965
Personnel:
Age:
Agency/Organization: Kentucky Department of Forestry
Position: firefighters
Summary:
William Brock
Kenneth McKnight, 34
James Shepard, 50
The afternoon of March 16, 1965 landowners were burning debris on the outskirts of Harlan, KY. An 8-person Kentucky Department of Forestry crew and their supervisor arrived, talked briefly with the residents burning out, divided into two squads and began cutting an indirect line on the ridgeline out of sight of and communication with the burnout below. They fired out as they worked down the ridges. About 1430 hours, the fire in the hollow blew up and made a run up the very steep, west-facing slope. One squad and the ranger ran for safety. Three of the crewmembers ran downhill into the hollow, were overrun and died.
Maps
Incident Location:
{mosmap lat=’36.840241’|lon=’-83.311020’|marker=’0’|text=’Burnover Location’}
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- Fairview Hollow Entrapment Investigation: Part of the Report (4 pages of 37) (506 K pdf)
- Kentucky Death Index: William Brock | Kenneth McKnight | James Sheperd
Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Theysaid: 11/22/10 Research
Media Articles and Reports
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- In memory of the fallen firefighters of KY: Members of the Route 377 Volunteer Fire Department in Northeastern Kentucky acquired the inactive 80′ tall Hickory Flats Fire Lookout Tower with a ground cabin where the towerman with the U.S Forest Service or CCC lookout lived while on duty. It was made by the Aeromotor company that made windmills and was part of the old Cumberland National Forest system (now the Daniel Boone NF). Mr Jim Getz donated the tower in 2002 and 1/2 acre site which he acquired through a land swap/purchase with the FS in the early 80’s. The fire department and friends raised the money to purchase access to the site and to make the repairs to the ground house and the cab’s windows and floorboards. “The tower and grounds will be dedicated in the memory of Kentucky firefighters who have lost their lives attacking wildfires across the commonwealth.” Hickory Flats Fire Lookout
Contributors to this article: Danny Blevins
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