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Cleveland Fire & AirTanker 61 Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

GeoTigger & BgD: This one keeps getting buried in the pine needles instead of being put back at the base. I check on it to replace it and I find 2 containers buried in pine needles. I am done coming out here.
I am very sorry/sad to archive this one due to the Attention it brings to The Cleveland Fire & Air Tanker 61 and those who lost their lives.

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Hidden : 5/31/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


1992 Cleveland Fire (Eldorado National Forest)

Loss of AirTanker 61 and the pilots.

The Cleveland Fire began on September 29 in the vicinity of the Cleveland Corral Visitor Information Station.

The Cleveland fire burned aggressively for the first three days, burning 4,500 acres the first day and almost 14,000 acres the second day. On the third day, tragedy struck and a fire retardant tanker plane crashed. Two pilots gave their lives that day while trying to stop the aggressively moving fire. Fortunately, after burning another 3,500 acres that day, it began to lightly rain in the evening. It was another 13 days before the fire was declared controlled, on October 14, 1992 at a total size of 22,485 acres. Half of the burned area was public land and the majority of the rest was private commercial timberland.

In all, some 5,300 firefighters and support personnel from over 130 different cooperating agencies and groups worked on the fire. The fire killed almost all trees over most of the fire area, immediately removing wildlife habitat for forest dwelling animals and increasing the stress on fragile watersheds. The dramatic changes that occurred over the course of several days will be evident for over one hundred years.
The fire cost 18,000,000 to suppress and a total loss of 245,525,000 with everything that was lost in the fire.

This fire was Human Caused..

The two Pilots that were Killed that day in AirTanker 61 were:

Pilot-
Charles Frost Sheridan Aug 7th 1937- Oct 1 1992

Co-Pilot
Leonard Douglas Martin May 13, 1957- Oct 1, 1992

The gates are open from May to Oct but you can pull off and walk to cache area other times depending on snow levels.
Please be respectful of the area..

Take a moment to check out the views and the forest around this area and imagine how it looked right after the fire.

Please make sure the lid is on tight and replace cache as it was found.

CONGRATULATIONS TO WEE-T & COLD SPRINGER ON FTF!!!!!!!!

Additional Hints (No hints available.)