Alvin Flory: How to Become a Fire Fighter

Transcribed and rearranged from oral interviews conducted by Julie Monroe, July 2002.

Al Flory

Ranger stations were scattered all over the County. Shiloh, Myrtle Creek, Copeland, Smith Creek, Round Prairie, Meadow Creek, Skin Creek in addition to Snyder Creek. A passenger train traveled near the Meadow Creek and Snyder Creek Ranger Stations. You could flag it down to catch a ride.

As a young teenager, Al and a friend would hop on board and ride between stations. During the summers, they hiked to most of the lookouts. Lookouts were quite often manned by trappers who worked for the Forest Service in the summer.

Al and his friend would travel from one lookout to the next. They knew that the government men had food and would share. Al’s parents supported the adventure: it kept the boys out of town and saved a little on the dinner budget.

During his travels, Al learned to read maps and use the fire finder.

In 1931, while picking peas, Al saw a large plume of smoke. The Deer Creek fire had begun. There were no organized fire crews at the time. Al had two older brothers who had fought fire so he went to the Forest Service to sign up. He was 16 years old. The Forest Service asked your name and age and then looked at your shoes. They wanted to be sure that you had work boots.

Several men in front of Al had been denied because they were too young so Al lied about his age. He started his career on the Deer Creek fire. He fought the fire for over a month. They worked 24 hours and then were off 12. He started at 15 cents an hour and by the end of the month he was making 40 cents an hour. The crews built more than 30 miles of fireline by hand. The Deer Creek fire burned more than 400,000 acres.

The snow finally put it out and Al went to back to school.