An Analysis of Dodge's Escape Fire on the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire in ...

Forward Spread Distance based
Dodge’s s observations and presumed
elapsed time <strong>of</strong> 30 seconds
10 ft in say 2-32
3 or 2.5 seconds (estimate <strong>of</strong> time span
between lighting the first and second matches).
Forward Spread Distance = 4 ft/sec x 30 sec = 120 ft
Good agreement with previous estimate <strong>of</strong> 109 ft.
On the basis <strong>of</strong> these calculations, Dodge would have
entered his escape fire with about 3 seconds left
before the area burned by his escape fire was
overrun by the main advancing fire front.
This time could be <strong>of</strong>f by a couple <strong>of</strong> seconds but
probably not much more.