Rock Creek Fire Monument – Orovada NV

Description

Members of the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a monument to five fallen members of Company 1212 who died fighting a fire outside Orovada, Nevada on July 28, 1939. The monument and plaque reside at the center of a U.S. 95 rest area south of Orovada, toward Winnemucca.

BLM: “A crew comprised of 23 men from a Civilian Conservation Corp responded to a lightning fire just outside of Orovada on the Santa Rosa mountain range. A thunderstorm had been developing above the fire while the crew hiked in and had now collapsed, creating a sudden wind shift and strong down drafts. Five of the young men, who had limited fire suppression training and equipment, got caught in the path of the advancing flaming front and were forced to retreat. Ultimately, this fire took their lives that fateful day.“