Wildland Firefighters Monument
In the summer of 1996, a Wildland Firefighters Monument was dedicated in Prineville, Oregon, honoring the contributions of all firefighters - past, present and future. The idea for the monument and the driving force behind the completion of the project was the Prineville Hotshots Parent Committee, Inc. The committee was made up of several parents of the 14 wildland fire fighters killed July 6, 1994, on Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, members of the local community, and Forest Service personnel. The monument, improvements at the site, and associated costs were all privately financed.
The two major design elements of the project were the monument itself and the very personal bio-plaques of the 14 young men and women who gave their lives on Storm King Mountain. Landscape Architect Alan Redman participated on the design team to site and display the two elements. The monument is approximately 13 feet long, 8 feet wide and 11 feet high and sits on a 3 foot stone base. The three firefighters portrayed on the monument, two men and one woman, are 1-1/4 life-size. Clothing, tools and equipment are accurately depicted for the 1994 fire season.
In addition to the monument, there are 14 “bio-plaques” (copies of those used at the Storm King Memorial in Glenwood Springs). The plaques have a photo engraving of each firefighter with a 2-3 paragraph description of their lives and their love for the job of fighting fires. The plaques are polished granite, supplied and engraved by Stone Imagery of Carlsbad, CA.
A site was selected in Ochoco Creek Park, a city park near downtown Prineville. The park has an open space character with a linear shape as it follows Ochoco Creek through town. The monument was sited on the edge of the open space near the creek. Concrete pavers were placed concentrically around the base of the monument to harden the viewing area. Following the linear shape of the park, a 100 foot pathway, 6 feet wide, of concrete pavers was built to move toward the monument and run parallel to the creek. The walkway was enclosed with the planting of over 100 aspen and red-twig dogwood. Several varieties of woodland perennials were planted randomly between the aspen. Bark chips were then spread across the remainder of the planting area.
Along each side of the pathway 20 boulders indigenous to the area symbolize the traditional 20 person fire fighting crew. The 14 bio-plaques are mounted on the boulders. An additional six plaques describe the various roles of fire fighters on the fire line, including Hot Shots, Helitack, Smokejumpers, Dozers and Engines, Air Attack, and Hand Crews. The plaques and the figures on the monument are illuminated for several hours in the evening.
The two design elements work well together. The monument has the scale and visibility to draw attention to the site. The pathway, connected to the monument, provides an opportunity for privacy and reflection on the 14 firefighters who lost their lives on Storm King as well as Wildland Firefighters in general and their job descriptions. Both elements fit the site and do not alter the character of the park. Alan Redman:R06F07A
