On October 28, 1949, a small aircraft crashed in Haskell Canyon near Saugus, igniting a wind-driven blaze that scorched more than 3,500 acres in the surrounding hills. The accident claimed the life of pilot Louis Malcom Chappell, a 22-year-old whose name was incorrectly reported at the time as “Lewis Chappel.” According to contemporary news reports, the crash sparked a fire ...

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