Chapters 1-2 Summary and Analysis

Maclean was at his cabin in Seely, Lake Montana when the local postmistress informed the author about the fire. Upon hearing about the fire, Maclean had to see it for himself. After it was all done, thirteen Smokejumpers from the United States Forest Service had burned to death when a blowup occurred at the top of a ridge. Most of the Smokejumpers were college boys.

Maclean had worked for the Forest Service during World War I at age 15, four years younger than the youngest Smokejumper at Mann Gulch. Maclean says that once he spotted the fire in Mann Gulch, it possessed him.

It was believed that one of the local homesteaders started the fire. The theory was that the homesteaders who relied on an abundant source of deer for venison were angry when a big sheep outfit moved into...