 My name is Thomas Taylor. I was a squad boss on the incident that will be discussed. I received the page to report to my duty station at 048 the morning of July 11th. 20-person crew I was assigned to consisted of people from three separate Ranger districts. The crews were compiled in the early morning, and we arrived at the fire at approximately 0900 that same morning. The fire was located in a steep narrow canyon with 3,000 vertical feet of terrain on both sides. The field type consisted of an overstory of spruce, Douglas fir, lodgepole, and ponderosa pine, as well as cottonwoods. The understory consisted of birch trees and a large variety of shrubs and bushes. There was also a heavy concentration of dead and down material on the forest floor. At that time the temperature was about 70 degrees with a relative humidity of about 50% and the winds were calm. Initial size up of the fire showed that the main body of the fire was contained between the road and the river, with a number of small spot fires across the river to the east burning in a riparian zone. The resources available consisted of our 20-person type 2 crew, 2 mark 3 pumps, 1,500 feet of hose, numerous gated wise fittings and nozzles. A hot shot crew had done some preliminary line cutting and would be departing the incident for a rest period. Air support had been ordered, but its arrival time was unknown. We received our briefing about 10.30, the tactics consisted of the following. The crew would be split into three squads. Squad 1 was assigned to take care of a slop over on the main fire, then would proceed across the river to aid in the suppression of the spots. Squad 2 would be in charge of the setup and operation of the pumps. My squad, Squad 3, was supposed to anchor into existing hand line and flank the largest spot fire using hand tools and a progressive hose lay. The remaining crew member would be our lookout and would be placed in a rock outcropping to the east of the fires. The escape routes for this incident were clearly marked and easily accessible back down the line across the log and to the road. We engaged the fire around 1100 hours. Temperatures at this time were in the 80s with a relative humidity of about 20% and the winds were calm. Squads 2 and My Squad, Squad 3, moved the pumps and hoses across the log to the east side of the river. From there, My Squad then proceeded to the anchor point and started with our operations. As the day progressed a number of problems occurred. With numerous spot fires, heavy torching and extreme fire behavior, additional resources were ordered, pump operations were abandoned, and the lookout was removed from their position as fire activity increased beyond our control. It was then that we decided to disengage the incident and retreat to our safety zone, a riparian zone next to the road, later known as the lunch spot. We were greeted by the hotshot crew, which was called back after two hours of rest. A district AFMO arrived shortly thereafter. At this time, all personnel on the fire were at the lunch spot. By this point in time, a break was needed. We sharpened tools, ate lunch, filled our canteens, and observed a full-on crown fire. Weather taken at the lunch spot indicated temperatures of 87 degrees, relative humidities at 17%, and winds 5 to 6 miles per hour. Approximately 30 minutes into our break, the hotshot superintendent and his assistant scouted the road up the canyon from the lunch spot. At that same time, two engines proceeded past the lunch spot to patrol for spot fires up the road. Upon encountering a spot fire approximately one-half mile from the lunch spot, one engine radioed the IC and requested one squad to assist them in the handling of the fire. The IC then asked for the crew boss trainee and squad one to head up the road with him and tie in with the engine. Once they arrived at the spot fire, they felt they needed some more assistance, so the crew boss trainee then radioed me and asked for my squad. I then rounded up my folks and we proceeded up the road, passing the crew boss trainee in an empty van as he was headed back to the lunch spot. We arrived at the spot fire and noticed the engine was departing. We then geared up and walked about 100 feet off the road and tied in with the IC and squad one. The spot fire was small in size, so I instructed my folks to help squad one digging line. About two minutes go by and we receive a call from the hotshot superintendent that we should get back into the van and head back down the road to the lunch spot. Because they had left the lunch spot to assist in fire operations, based on the fire behavior, they made a no go decision on the mission and went back down the road to the south along with the remaining squad, the crew boss trainee, the two engines and the district AFMO. We received another call that we should head out as quickly as possible, so the IC, my squad and squad one retreat back up to the road and pile into the one remaining van. Squad boss number one and three of his folks see that getting into the van was time consuming, so they start off down the road on foot. The rest of us quickly get in the van and proceed down the road. While shadowing the four on foot, we get about 100 feet in front of them and we observe a wall of fire crossing the road, blocking our escape. We then turn the van around, pick up the four crew members from squad one and drive up the road to the eventual deployment site. By this time my blood was pumping, 14 people crammed inside one van, emotions were running high. We drove up the road with fire behind us, fire was now burning very hot on both sides of the road at enormous intensity. We stopped the van in an area that was green, calm and open. The Chewatch River ran smooth and calm in contrast to the heavy activity around us. We got out of the van to observe the fire. Some took pictures, others sat and bewildered me of what was happening. I puffed on a cigarette while pondering the events of that day. To the east the fire was burning from point of origin up the canyon walls and scoured the upper third of the slope. The column of smoke was huge. Just as I put out my cigarette a dodge pickup had made its way down the road to our location. I quickly approached the vehicle and asked the driver where the road went. I was sadly informed that it was a dead end. My heart sank with the fact that we were trapped. 14 firefighters, two civilians and no way out. I quickly told the IC this is a dead end road. He said we will be safe here. We had two saws and had discussed reducing some of the fuels in the area but the IC decided that that would not be necessary. So I thought it would be to my best interest to hike up into the rocks to get a better perspective on what was headed our way. I saw from a distance a full on crown fire consuming everything in its path from one side of the canyon to the other. But at the site it was surprisingly calm. Five crew members from the same district had sat down on two large boulders 15 feet from the road. The rest of the crew now joined by two civilians gathered on the road. The fire was now burning with tremendous energy forming two columns. The column to the east was now huge with the fire burning up the canyon floor away from us to the northeast. The column to the west seemed more tame. Though it was devouring everything in its path my view was blocked so I could not see its full size. So basically from my locations in the rocks I could see two separate columns moving away from each other and forming a V. As time passed that V kept moving closer and closer. We will be safe here kept running through my mind. I thought that I would stay on the rocks until it got too hot and then I would head down to the road. As the V came overhead I ran down the rocks towards the road. About 25 feet from the road I was hit by an enormous wall of superheated air as if I had run into a freight train. I then retreated back up into the rocks a short distance, tore off my pack and grabbed my shelter. Tearing the tab off my shelter and pulling it out of its sheath was something I had only done in training. Now it was the real deal. With shelter in hand I simply held it out in front of me. The winds opened it on its own like a parachute. The shelter was very tough to hold on to. Just before climbing in my shelter I saw five folks running up the rocks towards me. There were only 15 to 20 feet below me and I immediately yelled, Deploy, deploy. I then put one foot in my shelter and rolled into it. The moment I entered my shelter I was hit with intense heat and wind. Instantly overcome with fear and terror. The fetal position allowed me to keep the shelter from burning me as I was able to push it away from me with my right hand holding down the shelter with my left arm and both feet. With intense heat and troubles breathing it was not a good situation. I had to think fast. If I stay in the shelter I will die. If I choose to leave my shelter I will die but I can't give up. So I made the decision to flee from my shelter down the rocks and to the river. With my last breath I threw the shelter off of me, ran down through the smoke and fire across the road to the river. The other firefighters and the two civilians joined me in the river approximately 15 minutes later. After a head count was done we knew that there were five people missing. After the IC tried to contact the squad boss on their radio and having no return traffic I climbed from the water and proceeded back up into the rocks and discovered four of my coworkers. Shouting their names yielded no response. With the intense heat being held in by the rocks I returned back to the road and discovered one of the five in the van severely burned but alive. I then grabbed the IC's radio and notified Air Attack and coordinated our rescue.