What is the theme in Young Men & Fire by Norman Maclean?

Loss is one of the main themes in "Young Men and Fire" by Norman Maclean. The fire that erupted in Mann Gulch in the Helena National Forest in Montana in 1949 brought with it a great deal of devastation, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Many of those who survived the fire and its aftereffects suffered a deep and prolonged sense of loss that haunted them for decades to come.