Into the Fire: Leading through Crisis - Pulaski vs Doge

Fire has always been one of nature’s most merciless forces. It can change direction in an instant, leap into the treetops without warning, and outrun even the fastest men on foot. For those tasked with fighting it, fire is not only an adversary but a test of leadership. When flames press in on every side, a leader’s decisions often mean the difference between survival and tragedy.

Two of the most significant episodes in American firefighting history illustrate this reality. The first took place in August 1910, when a dry summer and hurricane-force winds turned the mountains of Idaho and Montana into a single wall of fire. Known as the Big Burn, this inferno consumed more than three million acres in only two days. Entire towns were destroyed, and nearly eighty firefighters lost their lives. In the middle of the disaster stood a Forest Service ranger named Ed Pulaski, who led his crew of forty-five men into an abandoned mine shaft and held them there through the night while the fire roared outside. His quick judgment and steady presence saved most of their lives, making him a legend in the history of the Forest Service.

The second incident occurred nearly forty years later, in August 1949, at a place called Mann Gulch, along the Missouri River in Montana. A crew of sixteen smokejumpers, most of them young seasonal firefighters, parachuted into the gulch to cut a line around what appeared at first to be a small blaze. Within hours, the wind shifted, the fire crowned, and the flames began racing up the slope faster than any man could run. Their foreman, Wagner Dodge, realized they could not reach safety and lit what became known as an escape fire, burning the grass around him so that when the main blaze arrived there would be nothing left to consume. Dodge survived by lying in the blackened patch, but his crew, uncertain and panicked, tried to outrun the flames. Thirteen of them were overtaken and killed.

Both Pulaski and Dodge faced similar circumstances and had to make impossible decisions in a matter of minutes. Yet their stories ended very differently. Pulaski preserved the cohesion of his team and led them to survival. Dodge discovered an innovation that would later change firefighting doctrine, but he could not bring his men with him in that desperate moment.

The contrast between these two leaders raises an enduring question: what matters more in crisis, authority and trust or clarity and innovation? Their stories offer lessons for anyone in a position of leadership, and they connect directly to the principles of the Rucksack Leadership Framework, where the essence of leadership is understood as carrying weight on behalf of others.

Ed Pulaski: Command Presence and Trust

In August 1910, drought and high winds turned small fires in the northern Rockies into the Big Burn, a firestorm that consumed more than three million acres in two days. Ranger Ed Pulaski found himself with forty five firefighters directly in its path. Most were locals pressed into service, strong but inexperienced, and panic began to spread as flames closed in.

Source: Screen grab from PBS’ “The Big Burn: Chapter 1”

Pulaski saw that their fireline would not hold. He ordered the men to drop their tools and follow him to an abandoned mine shaft. Along the way he pulled stragglers forward and forced the crew to stay together, even threatening to shoot anyone who tried to bolt. Inside the mine, he ordered them to lie flat and cover themselves with blankets while he hung wet cloth across the entrance and fought sparks through the night.

By morning, five men were dead, but more than forty were alive because Pulaski had imposed order where chaos reigned. His calm authority, knowledge of the land, and refusal to surrender to panic made survival possible. More than a century later, Pulaski’s name is still remembered as a symbol of courage and leadership under fire.

Pulaski’s story is a lesson in the power of command presence and trust. His men followed him into the mine not because they understood the fire’s behavior but because they believed in his authority and steadiness. He made the decision, carried the responsibility, and refused to let panic fracture the crew. His leadership demonstrates the essence of carrying the weight for others when everything is on the line.

Wagner Dodge: Innovation Without Buy-In

Nearly forty years after the Big Burn, another tragedy struck in Montana. In August 1949, sixteen smokejumpers parachuted into Mann Gulch to fight what appeared to be a small fire. Within hours, the wind shifted, the fire crowned into the treetops, and flames began racing uphill faster than the men could climb.

Source

Their foreman, Wagner Dodge, recognized that they could not outrun it. In a desperate move, he lit the grass around him, creating what is now known as an escape fire. He called his men to join him in the blackened patch, but panic had already taken hold. To the crew, it looked like madness, and they continued scrambling toward the ridge. Dodge lay down in the ashes and survived. Thirteen of his men did not.

Dodge’s quick thinking created a survival tactic that is now taught to firefighters worldwide. Yet in that moment, he failed to persuade his team. His innovation saved himself, but without trust or cohesion, the crew could not follow. The Mann Gulch Fire became one of the most studied disasters in wildland firefighting, remembered both for the loss of life and for the lonely survival of its leader. 

Dodge’s story is a lesson in what can happen when leaders don’t earn the trust of their subordinates. He saw clearly that the crew could not outrun the flames and created a survival tactic that would later become part of firefighting doctrine. Yet in the moment, his men did not believe in the strange fire he set at his feet. They trusted their instincts more than their leader and ran toward the ridge. Dodge made the right decision for himself, but he could not bring his crew with him. 

Trust is the Foundation for Leadership

Dodge faced a challenge that Pulaski did not. His smokejumpers were not a seasoned crew who had worked together through past trials. Many were young college students or summer hires, meeting one another for the first time on the plane that carried them to Mann Gulch. Dodge himself had years of experience, but without shared history or established bonds, his authority was thin. He was the most experienced smokejumper by a wide margin, yet in the critical moment, no one looked to him for guidance.

It is unrealistic to build trust in the moment of crisis. It must be earned beforehand through shared effort, clear communication, and consistent presence. Pulaski’s men followed him into the mine because they already believed in his judgment. Dodge’s men, in contrast, saw him as a stranger asking them to lie down in the flames. 

Had Dodge invested more in cohesion before the jump, the outcome might have been different. Even a brief emphasis on building rapport, explaining his approach, and establishing credibility could have given his men the confidence to follow him in their most desperate moment. The tragedy of Mann Gulch shows that leadership is not only about skill or insight. It is also about the trust you have cultivated long before the fire closes in.

Conclusion

Fire tests leaders in ways few other forces can. It strips away options, accelerates decisions, and leaves no room for hesitation. Ed Pulaski and Wagner Dodge both faced that crucible. Pulaski saved his men through presence, trust, and authority. Dodge survived through innovation, but without cohesion, his crew was lost.

The lesson for leaders today is clear. It is not enough to see the right path. You must bring your people with you, even when fear clouds their vision. The weight of leadership is not carried for yourself alone. Like a rucksack, it is borne for the sake of others, and how you carry it will define whether your team survives the fire or is consumed by it.

Article Author: Byron Owen - Ibex Journal Editor, MTNTOUGH Leadership/Military SME

Byron Owen is a former Reconnaissance Marine with tours as both a platoon commander and commanding officer at the elite 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. He also had the honor of commanding several intelligence and cyber units to include Combat Mission Team One, Cyberspace Warfare Task Group 1, and 3d Radio Battalion. He writes about influence warfare and cyber at keyterraincyber.com, and about leadership at broadswordsix.com.