Water truck crashes, driver killed on Big Windy Complex in Oregon

(Originally published at 3:58 p.m. MDT, August 6, 2013; updated at 4:50 p.m. MDT, August 6, 2013; Jesse Trader’s name corrected February 22, 2023.)

The driver of a water truck, also known as a water tender, was killed Tuesday morning, August 6, when his truck crashed while working on the Big Windy Complex of fires in southern Oregon. Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson said 19-year old Jesse Trader was returning Tuesday morning at 7:20 a.m. after working the night shift. The truck hit an embankment and rolled over on the Bear Camp Road near Soldier Camp. Firefighters in vehicles driving behind Mr. Trader immediately stopped to assist. An advanced life support ambulance arrived on scene within minutes and life flight was quickly launched; however, all efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

The water tender, owned by Ace Earthmoving, was being used by County Fire, a private fire suppression company contracted to assist with the Big Windy Fire.

Our sincere condolences go out to the driver’s family and co-workers.

The Big Windy Complex is a group of three lightning-caused fires in southwest Oregon northwest of Grants Pass that have burned 10,832 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Since July 29 the Complex has been managed by Chris Schulte’s Type 1 Pacific Northwest #2 Incident Management Team. InciWeb has more details about the fires.

Below are some photos from the fire. The first one was taken on Bear Camp Road.

Gila Regulars clear fuel on Bear Camp Road, on the Big Windy Complex of fires. Photo by Dave Bauman, Information Officer.
Gila Regulars clear vegetation on Bear Camp Road on the Big Windy Complex of fires. Photo by Dave Bauman, Information Officer.
Jenny Fire
The Jenny Fire, part of the Big Windy Complex, burns near the Rogue River. Photo by PNW #2 IMTeam.
Morning briefing at Big Windy Complex, August 3, 2013
Morning briefing at the Big Windy Complex, August 3, 2013. Photo by Dave Bauman, Information Officer.

Wildfire arsonist convicted of murder, hijacks car then commits suicide

In a bizarre series of incidents, on August 3 a man committed suicide who had pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge for starting the 1997 Hemlock Fire in southern California which killed an aerial firefighter.

Cary Thomas Meeks admitting throwing an illegal firecracker into a grassy area of the San Bernardino National Forest in 1997 resulting in the 3,700-acre fire. In 1998 he received a sentence of three year’s probation for the crime. Since then he has been in and out of jail for other offenses.

Helicopter pilot Floyd Hiser was dropping water on the Hemlock Fire on July 6, 1997 when his helicopter lost power and crashed near Highland. He reportedly said “flame out” twice on the radio before his Bell 206 L-1 crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board said malfunctioning fuel-line valves caused the crash.

Mr. Meeks had a busy day on Saturday beginning with slashing the throat of a 67-year old man, who survived. U.S. Forest Service firefighters from the San Bernardino National Forest responded to that medical aid incident.

Mr. Meeks then carjacked a vehicle from a 73-year old man and led police officers on a chase at speeds up to 100 mph, with the vehicle’s owner in the car, who called 911 and described what was going on. Eventually the owner was let out of the vehicle, after which Mr. Meeks steered the car at high speed into a concrete bridge pillar without breaking. He died in the crash. He had previously told the vehicle’s owner he was going to kill himself.

Mr. Meeks had several other run-ins with law enforcement since starting the fire. The Riverside Press-Enterprise which always does an excellent job covering wildfires, has all of the details.

 

Thanks go out to Ken

One firefighter killed, another injured in Oregon

One firefighter has died and another was injured by a falling snag in the Deschutes National Forest near Sisters, Oregon on Thursday, August 1. The incident occurred on a new lightning-caused fire, named 398, north of Highway 242 near Dugout Lake. The two firefighters were contract personnel working as a tree falling team employed by R&K Water Services out of Bonney Lake, Washington. The names have not been released. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of the accident..

The incident was reported at 9:13 a.m. Thursday, according to Jean Nelson-Dean, a spokesperson for the Deschutes National Forest.

A rappel crew responded in a helicopter to the accident and called for an ambulance. One of the firefighters died at the scene. The other was taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. A water-dropping helicopter wet down the area to make it safer for other firefighters to assist with the incident.

An early morning lightning storm started dozens of wildfires in the Cascade Range of Oregon on Thursday.

Our sincere condolences go out to the families and coworkers of these firefighters.

Fatality in New Mexico while taking Work Capacity Test

A firefighter taking the Work Capacity Test (WCT) at the Northern Pueblos Agency in Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico collapsed and died Wednesday, July 24. According to the preliminary 24-hour report, Emergency Medical Personnel that were on scene monitoring the test immediately initiated CPR and other lifesaving measures with assistance from the Agency Staff. The patient was transported to the Espanola Hospital four miles away where he was pronounced dead.

The report does not specify if the individual was a firefighter or was attempting to qualify for another fire-related position.

Our sincere condolences go out to the person’s family and co-workers.

There are three versions of the WCT, for firefighters and those who will be in less strenuous jobs. Firefighters have to take the Arduous Pack Test version, which requires hiking 3 miles in less than 45 minutes while carrying 45 pounds.

According to the report “Wildland Firefighter Fatalities in the United States: 1990–2006” (NWCG 2007) 11 fire personnel died during that seven-year period while preparing for or taking the work capacity test. Another died in 2007. In 2011 a firefighter taking the test suffered a non-fatal but severe case of rhabdomyolysis, which if not treated early can lead to irreversible muscle damage, permanent disability, kidney failure possibly requiring lifelong dialysis, and even death.

Dozer operator dies while working on a fire in Idaho

A dozer operator died from an apparent heart attack Monday, July 8 while working to suppress the Pardee Fire northwest of Kamiah, Idaho according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Public Lands.

Dennis Long, a 65-year-old private logging contractor from Clarkston, suffered an apparent heart attack while building a fire line with the bulldozer. The dozer boss on the fire performed CPR on Mr. Long before a Life Flight crew and other emergency responders arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife and two adult daughters, all of Clarkston, were notified of his death Monday night.

Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Long’s family.

 

Thanks go out to Kelly

Memorial dedicated for the crew members that died on MAFFS 7

MAFFS 7 memorial dedication

A memorial site was dedicated today to honor the four people that died when the Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) C-130 air tanker crashed in South Dakota exactly a year ago. MAFFS 7, from the 145 Airlift Wing in North Carolina, was dropping retardant to slow the spread of the White Draw Fire when it encountered turbulent air and crashed, killing Lt. Col Paul K. Mikeal, 42; Maj. Joseph M. McCormick, 36; Maj. Ryan S. David, 35, and Senior Master Sgt. Roberts S. Cannon, 50. Two crew members survived, Chief Master Sgt. Andy Huneycutt, and Master Sgt. Joshua Marlowe.

Family members had the opportunity Sunday to travel to the crash site about eight miles northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota. The new memorial is approximately 6 miles northeast of Edgemont on Highway 18 near the point of origin of the fire (map) where the motor home that started the blaze caught fire while pulling the grade between Edgemont and Hot Springs. The memorial consists of a gravel parking area with room for about six vehicles and it has two interpretive panels — one describing the White Draw Fire and the other covers the accident and the four victims.

MAFFS 7 memorial dedication
The speakers at the dedication included: (left to right) Lt. Governor Matt Michels (at the podium); Lt. Col Dale Gadbois; Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest; Jajor General Timothy Reisch, S.D. Adjutant General; Major General Gregory Lusk, N.C. Adjutant General, and Mike Ortner, Chairman, Fall River County Commission.
MAFFS 7 memorial dedication
The family members were sitting in the front row and received copies of proclamations and other items.
MAFFS 7 memorial dedication
At the beginning and end of his presentation, Lt. Governor Matt Michels turned around and saluted in the direction of the crash site.

MAFFS 7 memorial dedication

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