If there was one single event every Comptche old timer had a story about it was the September 22, 1931, Comptche fire. If Mother Nature had not cooperated and the hard-working firefighters had not prevailed, a tremendous firestorm could have swept the Comptche Valley.
It started that morning in Nigger Nat Opening in the upper reaches of Big River and was pushed along by strong north winds. Before it was over two weeks later, it had burned a swath 12 miles long covering 40,000 charred acres, stopping at the north fork of the Navarro River. More than 250 firefighters worked around the blaze and saved all but 11 homesteads. The fire consumed the timber along with the remains of the log dams and the logging camps that existed in the area.
As the day progressed the roar of the fire could be heard in the south fork of the Big River, and Hayslett Hill neighbors banded together to help each other. Some turned livestock loose and fled to the Comptche Valley, while others defended their homes standing on their roofs and beating flames out with wet bed quilts.
The fire burnt down through the hills to the valley floor destroying Ciro's and Russel's homes. John Philbrick protected his place by plowing a long fire break around it. The flames burnt into Macdonald Gulch west of the Ottoson Ranch, and there was fear it would burn into Railroad Gulch and endanger Melburne while cutting off the road towards Mendocino. The Keene Summit families started backfires to protect their ranches from approaching flames.
Of necessity hundreds of lumber company loggers turned to fire fighting, and the ranches on the valley floor became feeding stations where local women cooked meals and made coffee for the weary men and cared for burnt-out families.
When it was all over the Red Cross and surrounding coastal communities were especially helpful getting local folks back on their feet again.
One good thing did come from that fire. Huckleberries grew like crazy for three or four years on that burnt land. Harvesting them and shipping them out provided a little extra cash during those depression years.
(From Katy Tahja’s pamphlet, ‘All Roads Lead To Comptche’)
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