As the fire grew, Pulaski led his men to take cover in an old mine shaft. Emerging the next day, they’d lost five of their men to suffocation and most others were badly wounded. Pulaski himself suffered blinding burns to one eye and permanent lung damage. He sought care for his men from the Forest Service, but it had been largely disbanded under President William Taft and help was not available. Newspapers eventually caught wind of the wounded volunteer firefighters and public outrage erupted. There was a new wave of support for Forest Service reinstatement, which would eventually happen under President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Barebones Pulaski Axe
