On October 19, 1938, a fire burned Pepper Hill by Lick Island Penn.
The "Pepper Hill Fire," started the morning of October 19 in mountainous terrain near Sinnemahoning.
Two crews totaling forty-nine men were sent to the fire from Camp Cameron.
The weather was very hot. Forest fuels were extremely dry from an extended brought and an early frost which had killed foliage, so the fire moved rapidly uphill.
The men were tired from fighting another fire the previous day.
The combination of tired, untrained men and fast-moving fires in hilly terrain was fatal.
Tired, confused crew members got ahead of the fire and uphill from it, a serious mistake in firefighting. The fire moved more rapidly uphill than the men could.
These men (most of them boys really) deserve to be remembered.
Their names, ages and hometowns are listed here:
Foreman -Gilbert Mohney, age 38, Ridgeway, Pa.
Enrollee -Basil Bogush, age 19, Conemaugh, Pa.
Enrollee -John Boring, age 19, Johnstown, Pa.
Enrollee -Ross Hollobaugh, age 18, Rimersburg, Pa.
Enrollee -Stephen Jacofsky, age 17, Johnstown, Pa.
Enrollee -Howard May, Age 18, Erie, Pa.
Enrollee -Andrew Stephanic, age 18, Twin Rocks, Pa.
Enrollee -George Vogel, age 17, hometown unknown
Thank you Mike Wennin for sharing this on Facebook
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