Trevor Murphy rolled out of bed for his run around 8 a.m. on August 22. His first 100 miler, the Javelina Jundred, was nearing, so he got up for some early morning miles in the McDowell Mountains of Arizona.
When driving there, he hadn’t heard on the news that a series of lightning strikes had ignited a few wildfires during the night. When he arrived to a closed gate at the trailhead, he assumed it was because of the park still being closed in the morning.
He parked before the gate on the side of the road, and took off for 20 miles. About two miles in, he saw a glow in the distance that made it clear a fire had started. At five miles, he was right on top of a small section of brush that was on fire, burning in the morning air. He immediately called 911.
The fire was burning on one side of the trail, having stopped because of the fire line the trail created. Still, Murphy feared it might cross and enter the nature preserve on the other side. He decided to act.
“The trail was the only thing stopping the fire from moving to the nature preserve; it was the only chance of stopping it,” Murphy told Runner’s World. “It would’ve been pointless to try and stop the fire if there wasn’t already a fire break built-in. I was just trying to make sure it held. I was working on the trail for hours at first, trying to widen it.”
Doing what he could with only the his running gear on him, he slowly chipped away.
“I stayed on the perimeter of the fire and I worked on stomping out the flames that were small enough to do that with my feet,’” Murphy said. “I started doing that hours before the TV helicopter arrived. I was out there maybe two to two and half hours before that.”
When he figured he could do no more, Murphy ran out of Fort McDowell Mountain Regional Park and went home. That wasn’t without achieving minor internet fame when a live TV chopper captured him stomping out smaller fires. His actions in the viral video have received mixed review since it happened and has spread around the internet.
“Honestly, I didn’t think twice about it,” Murphy said. “My adrenaline was going, and I never felt like my life was in danger. A lot of people think I went up there with the intention of fighting the fire. I just happened to run into it on my run.”
The fire itself in the McDowell Mountains has remained, but is 90 percent contained at this point thanks to local fire-rescue efforts. The fire has burned more than 615 acres.
Though this will be a run that Murphy will likely never forget, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Officer John Truett recommends a different approach if you ever encounter a similar situation.
“This was careless behavior and frankly, not logical,” Truett told Runner’s World. “Most people who would find themselves in a situation like this would have turned around. Fire managers on the McDowell fire were actively monitoring the fire and had strategies and tactics in place on how to suppress the fire safely. His actions simply put his life and those who would be required to save him in peril. His actions were irresponsible and so is promoting this type of behavior.”
In addition, Truett warned that aircraft could’ve been doing bucket work or retardant drops, and the fire could’ve increased in size, putting anyone nearby in potential danger.
Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
