Burn injury on the Rough Fire

(Originally published at 7:01 MDT, September 7, 2015)

A firefighter was burned today on the Rough Fire. Below is a news release from the incident management team:

At approximately 8:00 [on September 7, 2015], a firefighter was injured while working in the Converse Basin area of the Rough Fire. The firefighter was part of a hotshot crew working the night shift tasked with monitoring the fire line along Hoist Ridge, looking for spot fires that may have occurred outside the containment line.

Given the extremely steep, rugged terrain, a Rapid Extraction Module (REM) was dispatched to remove the firefighter from the scene to a road. The firefighter was delivered to an ambulance and transported to a nearby helispot. A helicopter then transported the patient to the hospital for treatment. The firefighter was conscious and alert at the time of the extraction.

The firefighter is now in the hospital, receiving treatment, in stable condition and good spirits. The firefighter’s family has been notified and is en route. The Forest Service is providing an employee advocate who is on scene to work with the firefighter’s family and medical staff to facilitate communication with all involved parties and deal with any needs of the family.

The Rough Fire, which started on July 31 east of Fresno, California, has burned over 95,000 acres.

Does anyone have details of what comprises a “Rapid Extraction Module” on a wildland fire?

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(UPDATE September 8, 2015)

Our readers can provide a wealth of information.

  1.  Holly sent us a copy of the ICS Position Manual for the Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS), ICS- 223-12.
  2. Kari Greer, in the comments, provided a link to some photos she took during a Rapid Extraction Module proficiency practice on the Happy Camp Complex last summer on the Klamath National Forest in California. That Module is from Sacramento Metro FD.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Barbara. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

7 thoughts on “Burn injury on the Rough Fire”

  1. REM is a resources that provides rapid removal of injured persons from the fire line using low and high angle rope rescue techniques. Firescope.org has the best information. ICS-223-12

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  2. It’s a rope rescue team, usually 2-4 USAR certified people tied to a engine making a team for steep hike in rope rescue extrication stuff. I got to be on one in 2013/2014

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  3. In my experience a REM is a small team that specializes in rope rescue. Both teams I’ve worked with came from structural fire departments in California. Most recently I saw a REM team from the Long Beach Fire Department on the Fork Complex year Hayfork, CA. They were based out of a utility pick-up truck and were staged on different divisions depending on need.

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