The 1939 Rock Creek Fire: Tragedy and Heroism in the Work of the CCC in Nevada

Abstract: A former U.S. National Forest Service Supervisor and fire analyst examines the1939 Rock Creek Fire in north central Nevada. The wildland fire killed five Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) “boys” mobilized to fight the fire. The narrative of the fire and the tragic loss of life offers a critique of the firefighting policies and procedures of the time. It also includes a discussion of the organization of the CCC and personal histories of the deceased young men in the context of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and the Great Depression of the 1930s.