The Story of Mann Gulch
The Story of Mann Gulch
Lessons from Smokejumpers
"In this dangerous world that we live in, where hatred and violence and natural disasters sometimes collide to almost overwhelm us, we each can help in some way.”
– Marsha Blackburn
The Story of Mann Gulch
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
In the summer of 1949, an incredible event unfolded in the Montana wilderness, offering prescient lessons for us in teamwork and leadership. A lightning storm had ignited a fierce wildfire that raged through mountainous forests. Air temperatures neared 100 degrees before the fires arrived, and as the blaze began to spread it showed no signs of relenting.
In response to the escalating fire, a team of expert smokejumpers was dispatched. The exceptional crew was made up of young men - it was a mix of forestry students and World War II veterans. While each member possessed the knowledge and skills to combat wildfires, they were strangers to one another and hadn’t established a strong command structure. Despite these challenges, most believed this group would have the fire under control by the following morning.
The select group of 15 adventurers parachuted into Mann Gulch. The next few hours would become a tragic lesson in teamwork and leadership:
· 2:30 PM: The smokejumpers are deployed, beginning their flight to Mann Gulch.
· 4:10 PM: Turbulence forces the team to parachute from a higher altitude of 2,000 feet instead of the standard 1,200 feet. The parachute carrying the emergency radio is destroyed upon impact.
· 4:15 PM: The team meets Ranger Jim Harrison, who had been on the ground solo and battling the fire for four hours.
· 5:00 PM: The crew assembled their supplies and quickly eats a meal.
· 5:10 PM: Crew foreman Dodge, along with fellow team member Hellmen, returned after scouting ahead.
· 5:40 PM: Dodge and Hellmen rejoin the group after their own quick meals.
· 5:45 PM: The team sees the fire crossing the ravine and is rapidly advancing toward them, just 200 yards away.
The group now faced a critical decision. It was at this pivotal moment the smokejumpers' foreman, Dodge, ordered the crew to turn and ascend a steep 76-degree hill toward the ridge's summit. The team sprinted through tall grass, while the towering, 30-foot flames closed in on them. In a surprising move, Dodge instructed the crew to drop their tools and started a fire at their feet, ordering them to lie down in the burned area.
No one listened to Dodge's orders. The team members scattered up the hill, attempting to escape the approaching flames. Two firejumpers discovered a crevice in the ridge, which saved their lives. Dodge remained in his escape fire's ashes and survived. The burned watch on another team member’s wrist showed the fire caught the rest of the 13 team members at 5:56 PM, burning them alive. The smokejumpers were all found within a hundred yards of each other. It took 450 men five more days to put the Mann Gulch fire out. It was an incredible loss of life that happened in an instant.
In life, we learn from tragedies. This story serves as a solemn reminder of the significance of teamwork and leadership, even in the most challenging circumstances. It underscores the crucial need for communication, trust, and decisiveness within a team, as well as the profound impact of leadership decisions in life-or-death situations. Mann Gulch continues to be a compelling case study for groups, teams, and leaders, offering significant insight into the dynamics of working together under extreme pressure and stress.
Route2 (route2results.com) shares important takeaways for leaders to consider from the tragic Mann Gulch fire.
1. Leaders need more than knowledge and skill. Leaders come in many different forms – simply being a gifted athlete does not mean one will be a gifted leader. Foreman Dodge was a talented smokejumper, he may have had good ideas and the best intentions, but they ultimately failed.
2. Trust in others requires getting to know that person. Successful teams trust one another. Trust doesn’t come without intentional efforts to build relationships, bond, and get to know one another. Without trust in stressful and hectic situations, teams fall apart.
3. Unity cannot be commanded, it has to be created. The title “foreman”, “captain”, “leader”, “upperclassman”, etc. doesn’t mean anything without showing care, helping others, and setting a great example. People won’t care what you do – they care about why you do it.
4. How you define team is important. A team is not any one person – it is a collection of individuals striving for a common goal. Each person makes up an important part of the team and when the group acts as individuals, not a group or team, the results can be disastrous. Every member of a team has an important role and value – no matter the position or title.
“It's ironic that when you go through a tragedy, you appreciate more. You realize how fragile life is and that there are so many things to still be thankful for.”
– Adam Grant
Connecting this quote to the story. Personal tragedies, like the Mann Gulch disaster, can provide a deep appreciation for life's fragility and the importance of gratitude. Tragic experiences serve as a poignant reminder to appreciate life.
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: Confidence is essential, yet we must remain open-minded to new ideas, change, and the possibility that we aren’t always right. The wisest of us all know they don’t know everything. Be careful of using absolutes and leave room for “maybe”!
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2024