When Harry Gisborne, the Forest Service's first fire scientist, died investigating the Mann Gulch Fire in 1949, he became known as its '14th victim.' Through personal stories and historical accounts, we explore how the tragic fire that killed 13 firefighters led to the creation of the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab and revolutionized wildland fire research. Current and former lab leaders, Sara Brown and Colin Hardy, share how Mann Gulch's legacy continues to shape firefighter safety and fire science today. 

Related Research:

• Missoula Fire Lab Partners with Google Research to Help Advance New Fire Spread Model (2024)
• The Rothermel Fire Spread Model: A 50-Year Milestone in Fire Research (2023)
• Understanding Wildfire as a Dynamic System: A New Comprehensive Book on Wildland Fire Behavior (2023)
• Research Needs for Wildland Firefighter Entrapments (2020)
• Bridging the Divide Between Fire Safety Research and Fighting Fire Safely (2017)
• From Research to Policy: The White Cap Wilderness Fire Study (2014)
• The Missoula Fire Sciences Lab: A 50-Year Dedication to Understanding Wildlands and Fire (2012)
• Mann Gulch Fire: A Race That Couldn't Be Won (1993)
• The Gisborne Era of Forest Fire Research (1977)
• Harry Thomas Gisborne Oral History Project (1976)
• A Mathematical Model for Predicting Fire Spread in Wildland Fuels (1972)
• The Seeding of Cumulus Clouds by Ground-Based Silver Iodide Generators (1959) 

Forestcast is an official USDA Forest Service podcast, and is produced by USDA Forest Service Research and Development.

Want more information? Visit us at https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/products/multimedia/forestcast

Questions or ideas for the show? Contact Jon at [email protected]