The Mann Gulch fire mural on the Lyndale Tunnel was officially dedicated on the fire's 75th anniversary as attendees gathered around for a ribbon cutting by the artist. Elise Perpignano, the muralist, with giant scissors in hand, cut the ribbon on "3" before people could get through the rest of the countdown out of excitement. "It was an incredible experience that I will never forget," she said.
"This has really been a labor of love." Mayor Wilmot Collins spoke to a crowd of a couple-dozen people, saying that everyone should remember the Mann Gulch fire as a testament of bravery. Chiara Cipriano, public affairs officer for the U.
S. Forest Service, said she was honored that Perpignano took the time to capture details about the fire's history. Miss Montana, the DC3 that carried the smokejumpers who died, flew over the observance.
Some of the details within the mural that ran throughout the tunnel were a beaver, dragonfly, fish, otter, plants and flowers. Most of these pieces in the mural were covered by painted blue skies. Also featured in the mural was a spot dedicated to Juliana Turchetti, a pilot who died while fighting the Horse Gulch fire on July 10.
She was in an Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft and tried scooping water, but crashed. Once the ceremony was finished, Perpignano said she had "never felt lighter" and was thankful to all of the people who contributed in making the mural a reality. Two attendees, Maggie Doherty and Rosanna Finley, said they were excited to see it finished.
Finley has seen the mural throughout its construction because she walks her dog around the park and said she was delighted to see such a beautiful painting. Doherty said she was excited for it because it will honor the 13 fallen men for years to come. She added that it was great to see a young artist continue to tell their story of heroism.
The Mann Gulch fire north of Helena claimed the lives of 13 men on Aug. 5, 1949. Most were smokejumpers who tried to battle the flames, but ultimately succumbed to the fire.
Officials said there were lessons learned in the fire to make firefighting safer today. Perpignano was paid $15,000 for the mural. She was selected from 19 "qualified" submissions for the tunnel that connects the area of the Great Northern Carousel to Centennial Park.
The project originated as a proposal from the Helena Public Art Committee. City commissioners balked at a previous suggested selection at an out-of-state artist and sought one with a little more local flavor. Sonny Tapia is a criminal Justice and education reporter for the Helena Independent Record.
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