What Was The Mann Gulch Fire?
In the early twentieth century, the US Forest Service developed a novel way of fighting remote wildfires: Smokejumpers. These wildland firefighters parachute deep into the wilderness to fight fires that are otherwise hard to get to.
In 1949, the program was still in its infancy when 15 Smokejumpers descended on the remote area of Mann Gulch, off the Missouri River in the Gates of the Mountains wilderness in Montana. At first, it seemed like a routine mission, a small lightning fire during the hottest summer on record. In fact, the majority of them thought it would be cleaned up by the next morning. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case.
The fire grew out of control in the dry, hot Montana summer. It jumped down the gulch to cut off the firefighters and a ranger from the Missouri River, their only safety net in this wild landscape. The fire continued to grow out of control as it burned toward the 16 men. With no other choice, they turned and ran for their lives, desperate to reach the ridgeline above.
Due to a number of interesting and sometimes controversial factors, thirteen of the sixteen men perished in the fire. This tragedy, forever changed the way we fight fires in this country to this day.
"Sky turned red, smoke was boiling. Two hundred yards to safety,
death was fifty yards behind..." - James Keelaghan, Cold Missouri Waters
Cold Missouri Waters, covered by the band Cry Cry Cry was the original inspiration for this film. Its moving and haunting lyrics moved us to the core and inspired us to learn more about the Mann Gulch Fire.
What Is Thirteen Crosses?
Thirteen Crosses is a documentary telling the story of the Mann Gulch fire of 1949. We aim to explore how this tragedy shaped modern firefighting, how our understanding of fire science evolved, and most importantly, highlighting the human face of firefighting.
Why Are We Making Thirteen Crosses?
The story of the Mann Gulch fire is classic tragedy. Every member of our team has felt a strong emotional connection to the story. Each of us is drawn to this story for a variety of reasons, from the logistics of smokejumping to the science of fire itself. But at the heart of it all, we are connected to the human element of wildland firefighting and telling stories of the land.
Wildfires are continuing to grow in the public’s attention, as each year unprecedented fire seasons claim property and lives. We are all familiar with what fires can do, but we hardly explore in detail how they are fought and, more importantly, who is fighting them. Our goal with Thirteen Crosses is to explore the person behind the pulaski. What kind of person fights fires in the wild country? What is the makeup of their character?
Stories like these should not be lost to history.
The Team
Taylor Moe
Director/Producer
Taylor is an award-winning filmmaker with over a decade of experience in the film industry who has a passion for telling stories of the land. Join him as he endeavors to fulfill his lifelong dream to give voice to the thirteen men who lost their lives at Mann Gulch.
Shannon Carlstrom
Producer
Shannon is a talented and creative artist, with incredible planning and problem solving skills. With many years in the creative arts, Shannon expertly manages the look of our film.
Karen Moe, PhD
Producer/ Research Advisor
Karen is a former scientist and also the former director of the Human Subjects Division at the University of Washington. With her years in academia, expertise in project management, and passion for creativity, Karen spearheads the management of this film.
C.J. Adrien
Writer/ Historian
C.J. Adrien is a bestselling and award-winning author with a passion for bringing the past to life through compelling storytelling. He is also a published historian who brings expertise in historical research to the team.
Dashiel Pare-Meyer
Director of Photography/
Animation Director
Dashiel is a talented Cinematographer, with over two decades in the industry. As a wildlife photographer, he brings the perfect blend of experience and creativity to the team. With a lifelong passion for animation, Dashiel is the perfect person to lead our animation team.
Erik Hutchison
Editor
Erik is an amazingly talented editor and storyteller. As one of the founding members of Little Films inc, Erik has worked with some of the biggest brands and companies in the country, from Microsoft and Starbucks, to charities like Grounds for Change and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Jeren Young
Producer
Jeren is an energetic creative with a wide array of experiences and skill. His passion for storytelling drives him to achieve every goal he sets. Jeren is the swiss-army knife of the production team.
