Roaring River Fire Hit by Tree Fatality 1919

Roy Mitchell of Sandy, Oregon, an employee of the Forest Service since 1910, was killed when a 110-foot tall cedar tree burned out at the base and fell, hitting him. Mitchell had been assigned to a fire in the Roaring River area on the Mt Hood National Forest. Mitchell was with two other firefighters when a shout of warning was given that the compromised tree was falling. All three attempted to escape, but Mitchell was struck. His body was carried two miles by stretcher by four fellow firefighters. Mitchell had just returned from France following overseas military service during World War I. Mount Mitchell, a prominent peak near Ripplebrook, was named in honor of Ranger Roy Mitchell in 1923.

Hit by Tree, Fatality, Hand Crews