Myron M. Kinley

Last updated

Myron Macy Kinley was a pioneer in fighting oil well fires. He was born in Santa Barbara, California, on July 4, 1896 and died May 12, 1978. [1]

During Kinley's life he developed many patents and designs for the tools and techniques of oil firefighting. He also trained others in their use, including legendary Red Adair, "Boots" Hansen and "Coots" Mathews (Boots & Coots). Virtually every organization in the oil well firefighting business today can trace its roots back to Myron Kinley and the MM Kinley Company.

Kinley's father Karl T. Kinley was an oil well shooter in California; Karl dynamited wells to fracture the rock and to increase flow. In 1913, faced with a roaring fire resulting from a blowout, Karl tried blowing it out with a giant "puff" of dynamite. It worked, and remains a common technique for fighting oil fires.

Young Kinley, who helped with the first shot, went on to develop the business of oil well firefighting, and essentially established the industry. Although it was lucrative, it had its risks. Kinley's right leg was permanently injured in late 1936 at the Bay City fire.

Kinley's brother, Floyd Kinley died March 12, 1938, from injuries at a Goliad, Texas, blowout accident, he was born November 28, 1904, in Bundrage, California.

Kinley was also severely burned in an accident in Venezuela in 1945. He survived many incidents and died at home in Chickasha, Oklahoma, on May 12, 1978.

Kinley's parents; Karl T. Kinley and Katherine Rose Scholl were married July 4, 1896, in Pasadena, California. As a baby, Kinley moved to Bakersfield in 1899. His sister Lucille was born in 1902; she lived in Ohio, California. Myron Kinley married Rowena May Hall in 1924. Kinley was later married to his second wife Jessie Dearing in 1958. In 1996, Jessie Kinley published the book Call Kinley about Myron Kinley's achievements.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuwaiti oil fires</span> Oil wells burned by the Iraqi military during the Gulf War

The Kuwaiti oil fires were caused by the Iraqi military setting fire to a reported 605 to 732 oil wells along with an unspecified number of oil filled low-lying areas, such as oil lakes and fire trenches, as part of a scorched earth policy while retreating from Kuwait in 1991 due to the advances of US-led coalition forces in the Gulf War. The fires were started in January and February 1991, and the first oil well fires were extinguished in early April 1991, with the last well capped on November 6, 1991.

<i>In Old Chicago</i> 1938 film by Henry King, Robert D. Webb

In Old Chicago is a 1938 American disaster musical drama film directed by Henry King. The screenplay by Sonya Levien and Lamar Trotti was based on the Niven Busch story, "We the O'Learys". The film is a fictionalized account about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and stars Alice Brady as Mrs. O'Leary, the owner of the cow which started the fire, and Tyrone Power and Don Ameche as her sons. It also stars Alice Faye and Andy Devine. At the time of its release, it was one of the most expensive movies ever made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Haggerty</span> American actor (1942–2016)

Daniel Francis Haggerty was an American actor who was best known for playing the title role in the film and television series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conflagration</span> Large and destructive fire

A conflagration is a large fire. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A conflagration can begin accidentally or be intentionally created (arson). A very large fire can produce a firestorm, in which the central column of rising heated air induces strong inward winds, which supply oxygen to the fire. Conflagrations can cause casualties including deaths or injuries from burns, trauma due to collapse of structures and attempts to escape, and smoke inhalation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Adair</span> American oil well firefighter

Paul Neal "Red" Adair was an American oil well firefighter. He became notable internationally as an innovator in the specialized and hazardous profession of extinguishing and capping oil well blowouts, both land-based and offshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerial firefighting</span> Use of aircraft to combat wildfires

Aerial firefighting, also known as waterbombing, is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing aircraft, or rappelling from helicopters. Chemicals used to fight fires may include water, water enhancers such as foams and gels, and specially formulated fire retardants such as Phos-Chek.

<i>Hellfighters</i> (film) 1968 film by Andrew V. McLaglen

Hellfighters is a 1968 American adventure film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring John Wayne, Katharine Ross, Jim Hutton and Vera Miles. The movie depicts a group of oil well firefighters and is based loosely on the life of Red Adair. Adair, "Boots" Hansen, and "Coots" Matthews served as technical advisers on the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aircraft rescue and firefighting</span>

Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) is a type of firefighting that involves the emergency response, mitigation, evacuation, and rescue of passengers and crew of aircraft involved in aviation accidents and incidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefighting foam</span> Foam used for fire suppression

Firefighting foam is a foam used for fire suppression. Its role is to cool the fire and to coat the fuel, preventing its contact with oxygen, thus achieving suppression of the combustion. Firefighting foam was invented by the Russian engineer and chemist Aleksandr Loran in 1902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blowout (well drilling)</span> Uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from a well

A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil well or gas well after pressure control systems have failed. Modern wells have blowout preventers intended to prevent such an occurrence. An accidental spark during a blowout can lead to a catastrophic oil or gas fire.

As firefighting has a rich history throughout the world, traditions in this profession vary widely from country to country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil well fire</span>

Oil well fires are oil or gas wells that have caught on fire and burn. They can be the result of accidents, arson, or natural events, such as lightning. They can exist on a small scale, such as an oil field spill catching fire, or on a huge scale, as in geyser-like jets of flames from ignited high pressure wells. A frequent cause of a well fire is a high-pressure blowout during drilling operations.

"Fire at Rig 15" is the 19th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Written by Bryan Cooper and directed by Ken Turner, it was first broadcast on 16 February 1968 on ATV Midlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myron H. McCord</span> American politician, businessman, and military officer (1840–1908)

Myron Hawley McCord was an American politician, businessman, and military officer. He began his career in Wisconsin where he held a number of elected offices before representing Wisconsin's 9th district in the United States House of Representatives for a single term. After undergoing a bankruptcy, McCord moved to Arizona Territory. There he was appointed territorial governor by his friend, William McKinley. After a year in office, McCord resigned as governor to serve as an officer in the United States Volunteers.

Boots & Coots was a well control company. It was founded in 1978 by Asger "Boots" Hansen and Ed "Coots" Matthews, veterans of the Red Adair Service and Marine Company. The two companies extinguished approximately one third of the more than 700 oil well fires set in Kuwait by retreating Iraqi soldiers in the Gulf War. This work was featured in the 1992 film Lessons of Darkness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost Hills Oil Field</span> Kern County, California oilfield

The Lost Hills Oil Field is a large oil field in the Lost Hills Range, north of the town of Lost Hills in western Kern County, California, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William McKinley Sr.</span>

William McKinley Sr. was an American manufacturer. He was a pioneer of the iron industry in eastern Ohio as well as the father of President William McKinley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Henry Douglass</span> American soldier

Lewis Henry Douglass was an American military Sergeant Major, the oldest son of Frederick Douglass and his first wife Anna Murray Douglass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devil's Cigarette Lighter</span> Natural gas well fire in Algeria

The Devil's Cigarette Lighter was a natural gas well fire at Gassi Touil in the Sahara Desert of Algeria. The fire was ignited on November 6, 1961, and burned until being extinguished by Red Adair and his colleagues, who used explosives to deprive the flame of oxygen, on April 28, 1962.

References

  1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080516055513/http://www.chickashaarts.org/kinleys.html Cemetery Tour 2003: Jessie Dearing (Mrs. Myron M.) Kinley 1914 – 1997 and Myron M. Kinley 1896 – 1978