BLACKWATER - 1937

Photo: National Park Service

On Aug. 21, 1937, fire killed 15 firefighters and injured 38 others in Shoshone National Forest, near Cody, Wyoming - a tragedy known as the "Blackwater Fire."

Lightning ignited brush near Blackwater Creek and the fire burned for two days before being detected. By the time fire crews reached the scene, flames covered 200 acres.

Sam Van Arsdale, a firefighter with the Federal Bureau of Public Roads, who was injured at the Blackwater Fire, shared his story to the Associated Press from a hospital bed:

By SAM VAN ARSDALE

Cody, Wyo., Aug. 23 (AP) - When that fierce wind came up, I did the most natural thing.

I tried to get away from that terrible heat.

I threw my hands over my face and ran away from the first big wave of heat.

But, then, as I was running against the rim rock, a cross wind hit us.

The flames scorched right over my hands. They were badly burned.

I threw my hands away from my face and I screamed. And I knew my face was burned.

It was my first experience in a fire.

When I felt my face was burned, I turned around and ran down the hill toward the fire coming up from below.

I realized as I ran I was going into a fire. I began to think how horrible it would be to die that way.

So I turned around just quick enough to get away from the flames and ran back up the hill again.

Running up the heat hit me again. You just couldn't get away from it. The wind was twisting all around.

I guess I screamed and fell down. I remember I started to roll down the hill. Then it was all over.
 

I remember there were other fellows running with me down the hill the first time. But they didn't turn around. I guess they tried to run on through.

But I saw some of them just lay down in there and let the fire burn over them.

When I woke up lying on the ground, I was holding my face and the first thing I thought of I was going to die. I know I prayed and I think every other fellow did, too.

I though of mother and dad, and my girl friend, and my career. I wondered if I ever could use my hands again. You see, I'm going to study surgery.

Many of the fellows around me were screaming. There was still a lot of smoke and it made me panicky. I wanted to scream, too, but I realized there were fellows burned much more badly than I was, so I tried not to.

Somebody came in then and found us. A started walking out through the coals. I could feel my feet getting hot.

But we got out all right.

It was the most horrible experience I ever went through.