The Nevada Historical Society's building may be closed for a remodel, but during this closure you can still enjoy their fascinating lectures at the Sierra View Library. The Nevada Historical Society’s Nevada History on the Go series combines their three history programs that delve into Nevada History, Lake Tahoe, and the American Gaming Archives gambling and gaming history. Make sure to visit the Sierra View Library on the first Saturday of each month to learn more about Nevada’s history through these engaging talks that are geared towards audiences of all ages.

This month we’ll be joined by Richard Markley, historian, author, and retired Forest Service Administrator. This presentation will share recently published research about a little-known, tragic wildfire that took the lives of five young Civilian Conservation Corps firefighters in Northern Nevada in 1939.

Known as the Rock Creek Fire, it ranks as one of the worst firefighter fatality fires in Nevada history. Who were these young men who risked their lives fighting a wildfire in a remote region of Nevada? What did the post-fire investigations reveal? What factors ultimately led to the tragic outcome?

Markley is a wildfire history researcher and author who retired from the U.S. Forest Service after serving 32 years as an archaeologist, district ranger, and forest supervisor in the forests of California, Idaho, Oregon, and New Mexico. As a national forest administrator, he oversaw complex wildland fire management programs and firefighting personnel. He served on wildland fire fatality review boards and was an instructor at the national wildland fire training center in Tucson, Arizona. He received a master’s degree in anthropology from California State University, Chico, and now lives in Gardnerville, Nevada, about four hours from the site of the Rock Creek fire tragedy. His newly published research reveals much about the men who perished, what led to their deaths, and what has become the legacy of the Rock Creek Fire.