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Wildfire Today

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Inmate firefighter dies after falling ill on California fire

Author Kelly AnderssonPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , , 7 Comments on Inmate firefighter dies after falling ill on California fire

The 2,681-acre Buck Fire south of Hemet, California, was fully contained on Friday morning, and the North County Times reported that an inmate firefighter died yesterday after he became ill on the fire.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and Cal Fire are investigating the illness and subsequent death of 44-year-old Jimmy Randolph, who died at a hospital in Palm Springs with his family at his bedside. The cause of death will be announced after an autopsy is completed.

(UPDATED July 13, 2017. Mr. Randolf died in a hospital August 19, 2012 seven hours after he was found unresponsive where he was sleeping at the fire. The cause of death was listed as anoxic encephalopathy combined with complications of heat stroke.)

Buck Fire location

Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp on the Angeles National Forest houses minimum-security inmates and is operated jointly by CDCR and Cal Fire.

The Buck Fire also had a microburst rip through the ICP early Thursday, with hard rain and hail and 60 mph gusts that sent tents and much of the camp skittering across the ground. The fire, ignited by lightning last Tuesday, was also plagued with injuries; according to the Desert Sun, one firefighter was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. Three other firefighters incurred minor injuries, along with two civilians, one of whom suffered severe third-degree burns to his legs.

Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a marijuana patch discovered in the area. According to the L.A. Times, firefighters encountered two men trying to protect the small grove of plants.

This fire had more than its share of weirdness. The Desert Sun also reported that a 59-year-old local man was charged with driving over a fire captain’s foot on Tuesday afternoon. Gregory Lance Good is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and interfering with a firefighter in the line of duty. He was arraigned in Riverside County Superior Court and entered a “not guilty” plea.

Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Blackwater fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

Blackwater FireLast May we had an article about the 1937 Blackwater fire that killed 15 firefighters east of Yellowstone National Park. On Sunday and Tuesday the U.S. Forest Service will be holding events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of that tragic fire.

A lightning strike on Aug. 18, 1937 in the Shoshone National Forest at the eastern border of Yellowstone National Park sparked a wildland fire that burned for two days in remote terrain before it was reported to the U.S. Forest Service.

The first men to respond were members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal program that put the unemployed to work in the nation’s parks and public lands on a wide range of public works projects.

On Aug. 21, three days later, the Blackwater Fire had grown from a couple of acres to about 200, and dozens of men were fighting the fire in rugged terrain south of U.S. Highway 14/16/20, about 12 miles east of Yellowstone’s eastern boundary.

An oncoming cold front brought a sudden and unexpected shift of winds, catching many of the firefighters off-guard. Nine men were killed as the blaze quickly advanced, and six others later died from their burns. Another 38 were injured.

The 1937 Blackwater Fire burns in rugged country in the Shoshone National Forest east of Yellowstone National Park. (USFS archival photo)

The tragedy was the biggest loss of lives from a forest fire in a generation, and drew national headlines. A detailed investigation of the fatalities — the first of its kind — helped focus new attention on the importance of early attack of wildland fires, leading to the development of the smokejumper program.

The Forest Service has planned a series of events to mark the 75th anniversary of the fatal fire, including a ceremony at the roadside memorial between Cody, Wyo. and Yellowstone, and a hike to a backcountry memorial commemorating the fatalities.

To prepare for the 75th anniversary, the Forest Service has performed maintenance, restoration, and signing along the Blackwater National Recreation Trail and restoration work on the Clayton Gulch memorial marker.

On Sunday, Aug. 19, the Forest Service will lead a field trip at 9 a.m. from the Blackwater trailhead to the Clayton Gulch monument, with interpretation of points along the way. The 8-mile round-trip hike moves through moderately difficult terrain, with the trail starting at about 6,200 feet in elevation and rises to about 9,500 feet. Participants should plan on a six-hour trip. They should also bring their own lunch, drinking water, bear spray, appropriate attire for changing mountain weather and any additional necessary items.

On Tuesday, Aug. 21, the Forest Service will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Blackwater fire with a wreath-laying ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Firefighters Memorial. Guests will include former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson and Forest Service director of fire and aviation Tom Harbour.
Thanks go out to Chris and Dick

Update on firefighter fatality in Idaho

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , 2 Comments on Update on firefighter fatality in Idaho
Ann Veseth
Anne Veseth. Credit: Facebook

The firefighter that was killed by a falling snag on Sunday, August 12 has been identified as Anne Veseth of Moscow, Idaho, a second-year firefighter with the Nez Perce & Clearwater National Forests. She also worked for one year on a U.S. Forest Service trail crew. Ms. Veseth was 20 years old and was attending Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho.

According to KLEWTV, she was working toward a Bachelor degree in Business administration after earning an associate degree in Auto Mechanics Technology. She was on the Dean’s List all four semesters.

Her older brother, Brian Veseth, is also a wildland firefighter.

A rosary will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1st and Polk, Moscow, Idaho (map) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 17. Full Mass services will be held for Anne on Saturday, August 18, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The family asks that all firefighters attending the services wear their yellow shirts and green pants (clean, but used).

Two firefighters killed in Spain

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Two firefighters killed in Spain

Two firefighters have died while battling a fire in Spain’s eastern province of Alicante. Both of them passed away in an Alicante city hospital, one on Sunday and the other on Monday, after suffering injuries on the fire. Two other crew members are being treated in the hospital.

The fire in Alicante is one of six burning throughout Spain. On the Canary Island of La Gomera, hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate by boat to escape a wildfire.

Forest Service firefighter killed in Idaho

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , 5 Comments on Forest Service firefighter killed in Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service announced that a firefighter was killed in the line of duty Sunday afternoon, August 12, while working on the Steep Corner fire near Orofino, Idaho. The Lewiston Tribune reported that Rick Brazell, supervisor of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, said the firefighter was struck when one tree fell and crashed into another tree, causing it to fall in a domino effect. Anne Veseth, from Moscow, was killed while working on the Steep Corner fire near Orofino.

Veseth, 20, was a graduate of Moscow High School and a student at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston. This was her second season as a firefighter. Her older brother is also a wildland firefighter.

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest said the Clearwater Potlatch Timber Protective Association (CPTPA) stationed out of Orofino, Idaho was managing the suppression response on the fire. CPTPA is a local cooperative initial attack association responsible for fire suppression in the area. The Forest Service was cooperatively assisting in suppression of the fire.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family and coworkers.

President Obama calls firefighting Airmen heroes

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 2 Comments on President Obama calls firefighting Airmen heroes

We are a little late getting this to you, but the day after the North Carolina Air National Guard C-130 MAFFS air tanker crashed in South Dakota, killing four crew members and injuring two, President Obama released this statement:

Yesterday (Sunday), a military C-130 from the North Carolina Air National Guard crashed while supporting firefighting efforts in South Dakota. The full details are still under investigation, but the crew of this flight – along with their families and loved ones – are in our thoughts and prayers.

The men and women battling these terrible fires across the West put their lives on the line every day for their fellow Americans. The airmen who attack these fires from above repeatedly confront dangerous conditions in an effort to give firefighters on the ground a chance to contain these wildfires – to save homes, businesses, schools, and entire communities. They are heroes who deserve the appreciation of a grateful nation.

I know Americans across the country share my concern for the well-being of the surviving members of the crew and my deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. And I know that Americans join me in expressing my deepest gratitude for the selfless determination they and thousands of men and women involved in this fight in states across the country demonstrate every day.