Ervin Martin Voegele

Roscoe, SD

1939, 791, Lightning Creek, F-14,

Ervin Martin Voegele was born May 10, 1918 in Hosmer, SD. He died July 1939 at the age of 21 while with the Civilian Conservation Corps.

About noon on July 10, 1939, one of the worst forest fires in the history of the Black Hills started ten miles northwest of Hill City.

By the next morning it had burned six miles, jumped the Mystic Road, the C.B.& Q. Railway and was headed directly for Hill City.

The fire was within three miles of Hill City at noon when the wind changed and carried it further North and East.

The weather was hot and very dry plus a high wind repeatedly "crowned", the Firefighting was very dangerous.

All of the C.C.C. boys in the area were immediately put on the fire and forest rangers called for more help.

Firefighter Voegele, sought shelter under a rock and was killed by a lightning strike.

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