Gone but never forgotten. 70 years ago a Vernal man lost his life due to health complications after bravely battling a wildfire in Dinosaur National Monument. On July 20th, 1950, Fire Control Aide Theadore McCarrell was stationed in the Jones Hole area of the Monument when he spotted smoke at about 7am. McCarrell’s wife left to get help while he immediately started working to control the fire. “McCarrell ended up fighting the fire alone for 12 hours or more until being relieved after 7:00 pm that evening,” shared Dinosaur National Monument in an anniversary tribute. “The official report doesn’t indicate whether McCarrell worked the fire the next day, but he was on scene two days later when the fire was declared out.” McCarrell died on August 2nd, 1950, of “acute edema of the lungs…due to chemical pulmonary irritation from breathing large amounts of smoke…during forest fire fighting.” McCarrell was 59-years-old and a lifelong Vernal resident. He left behind his wife, son, and two daughters. He was posthumously awarded the 2019 Department of Interior’s Distinguished Service Award.
