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Tag: rollover

Followup on dozer rollover in California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , ,

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has released a preliminary report on the July 6 dozer rollover on the Monticello Fire southeast of Lake Berryessa in Yolo County.

The summary:

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“On July 6, 2014, at approximately 1320 hours, a CAL FIRE dozer was operating on Division M of the Monticello Incident. The dozer was working sidehill, constructing fire line in steep terrain. The dozer became unstable and rolled at least two times coming to rest on its tracks in a small drainage below. The operator sustained a head injury and a possible loss of consciousness.

Fire line personnel immediately responded to assist and treat the operator. A CAL FIRE helicopter performed a hoist rescue. The operator was transferred to a waiting medevac helicopter and was transported to a trauma center for evaluation. The operator was released from the hospital later that evening.”

Report released on USFS engine rollover in Wyoming

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 1 Comment on Report released on USFS engine rollover in Wyoming

Engine 492, front

The U.S. Forest Service has released a report on the August 8, 2013 rollover of Engine 492 southwest of Newcastle, Wyoming. In August we provided some information from the 72-hour report.

Below is an excerpt from the summary — you can read the entire report HERE.

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“On Thursday, August 8, 2013 Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grasslands Engine 492, a 2013 KME Type 4 engine was involved in a rollover accident along Wyoming State Highway 450. The accident occurred around noon, as Engine 492 was responding to the Osage Fire, in mutual aid assistance to Weston County, Wyoming. The accident occurred near mile marker 40, or approximately 10 miles east of the Thunder Basin Work Center.

The engine left the highway, veered slightly to the right side of the road hitting a paved apron to a side gate, with the driver seeking to decelerate and regain control of the engine. The engine returned to the road, with the engine brakes being heavily applied, then redirected back to the highway, which resulted in crossing the center line and going to the opposite road edge. Engine 492 rolled over a few times before coming to rest on its wheels (up-right).

At the time of the accident all three members of Engine 492 were wearing their seatbelts. Use of seatbelts and the integrity of the engine cab are likely the principal reasons for the survivability of this accident. All three crew members were hurt in the accident and the Type 4 engine was a total loss. Two of the crew members were transported by ambulance to Newcastle, Wyoming and the third member was transported by ambulance to the high school practice field in Wright, Wyoming where he was transferred to, and then transported by helicopter to the hospital in Casper, Wyoming. The two crewmembers that were transported to Newcastle, Wyoming were released later the same day. However, the injuries sustained by the third member resulted in a longer stay in Casper and release from the hospital on Saturday, August 10th…”

Engine 492, left side Engine 492, wide

Engine rollover in Wyoming injures three

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 3 Comments on Engine rollover in Wyoming injures three

Engine 492 crash WyomingThe U.S. Forest Service has released a 72-hour report for an engine rollover in Wyoming that injured three firefighters. It occurred at noon on August 8 while the crew was responding eastbound on Highway 450 to a report of a fire near Newcastle, Wyoming. Here is a link to a map of the general area.

The engine, a new Kovatch Mobile Equipment (KME) Type 4, was totaled.

Below is the narrative from the report:

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“Narrative: A type 4 wildland engine, traveling east along Wyoming State Highway 450, lost control and rolled over, approximately 10 miles east of the Thunder Basin work center. The engine, with a complement of three fire personnel, was responding to a smoke report near Newcastle, WY.

Following the accident, two personnel were transported by ambulance to Newcastle, WY and one by ambulance with life-flight assistance, to Casper, WY. Two personnel were released on the same day (August 8, 2013), while the third individual was released on Saturday, August 10, 2013.

Accident investigations are being conducted by Wyoming Highway Patrol (including an accident reconstruction analysis) and Forest Service law enforcement.

A Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) team is on-site and has completed an in-briefing and delegation by the Regional Forester. The FLA team is conducting interviews, reviewing the accident site and assessing information from the accident.”

Report on fatal engine rollover on Montezuma Fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , ,

 

Montezuma fire, fatality engine
Engine rollover fatality that occurred June 9, 2012 on the Montezuma Fire in Arizona.

The recently released 2012 Incident Review Summary mentioned a report that we were not aware had been released — the engine rollover fatality that occurred June 9, 2012 on the Montezuma Fire in Arizona. Killed in the accident was the Bureau of Indian Affairs engine boss, Anthony Polk, 31, of Yuma, Arizona. Two crewmembers were injured, one very seriously.

The three-person crew was en route to their assignment that morning. The AD crewmember driving was in his first fire season and had started work five days before. He received a valid Federal Motor Vehicle Operator’s ID card on May 3, 2012 about a month before he started work.

Below is an excerpt from the report:

Approximately 0745-0800 – The engines left the spike camp with Engine 1252 in the lead. Engine 6351 followed Engine 1252. Engine 6351 was being driven by Crewmember 2. Crewmember 1 occupied the middle seat, and the ENGB occupied the passenger side of the engine. The engines headed south on Indian Reservation Route 19. The engines drove up a moderate grade for the first couple of miles, crested the hill, and then started down a slight decline.

Approximately 0800 – The driver (Crewmember 2) stated that as they were driving and without prompting, the ENGB passed Crewmember 2 a bottle of water that had been on the dashboard on the passenger side where Crewmember 2 had previously been sitting. Crewmember 2 took the bottle and put it between his legs. The ENGB passed Crewmember 2 a second bottle of water and told Crewmember 2 to put the bottle behind his back.

As Crewmember 2 put the water bottle behind the back of his seat, he drifted off the right hand side of the road. He tried to steer the engine back onto the road, but overcorrected and went across both lanes of the road into the dirt on the other side. The engine flipped forward, landing with the weight on the hood and cab. The engine bounced, landed on its wheels and coasted across the highway (from east to west), coming to rest on the west side of the highway.

Findings, from the report:

  • The driver (Crewmember 2) was an AD Employee who was on his first off-unit fire assignment.
  • The driver (Crewmember 2) had no previous experience driving an engine.
  • The driver (Crewmember 2) was distracted, as water bottles were passed to him while he drove Engine 6351 on Indian Reservation Route 19.
  • No manual direction exists within the Bureau of Indian Affairs to ensure employees are qualified to drive Type 6 and larger engines.
  • Indian Reservation Route 19 is a relatively narrow road with no shoulder. The drop off from the paved surface to dirt is 4 to 6 inches. There is no “rumble strip” in place to alert the driver to the outside edge of the road surface.
  • Engine 6351 is a Chevrolet C-5500 engine platform (Model 52) rated as 19,500 GVW that has unique road handling characteristics that differ from the average sedan or pickup.
    • 1. While this vehicle does not have a CDL requirement, the weight of the vehicle (19,500 GVW) contributes to its unique road handling characteristics.
    • 2. The front axle width is approximately 15” wider than standard size vehicles. The axle width results in the vehicle encountering road surface irregularities differently than a vehicle with a narrower axle width.

7 firefighters injured in crew carrier rollover in New Mexico

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,
BLM crew carriers by KME
Examples of BLM crew carriers. Photo by KME.

Seven firefighters were injured in the rollover of a Bureau of Land Management crew carrier in New Mexico on Tuesday, November 13. The injured personnel were part of a 20-person crew returning from an assignment in support of recovery from Hurricane Sandy when the truck overturned approximately five miles south of Taos, New Mexico. The firefighters were being transported from the Albuquerque, New Mexico airport to their home units.

According to a 24-hour report from the BLM:

Nine people were on board the vehicle: Seven BLM employees and two U.S. Forest Service employees.

One BLM employee and one U.S. Forest Service employee received serious but not life-threatening injuries, and remain hospitalized. The BLM employee was airlifted by helicopter to the hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The U.S. Forest Service employee was transported to the hospital in Taos, New Mexico.

The seven other employees (six BLM, one U.S. Forest Service) were taken to the hospital for observation/or received treatment of minor injuries and were released.

An Interagency Fire Serious Accident Investigation Team and a Critical Incident Stress Management Team have been ordered.

We will hope for a speedy recovery for the injured firefighters.

Other crew carrier accidents in recent years:

  • 2009, August 22: Klamath Interagency Hotshots’ crew carrier rolled over near Los Molinos, CA while the crew was returning from a fire assignment. Eight were injured.
  • 2010, November 23: One firefighter was killed and 12 were injured when an inmate crew carrier was involved in a head-on crash with another vehicle on Highway 138 in Gorman, California.
  • 2011, July 5: A Valyermo Hotshots’ crew carrier rolled over while the crew was returning from a brush clearance project. Nine were injured.

Water tender rollover kills firefighter

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 4 Comments on Water tender rollover kills firefighter

A water tender responding to a vegetation fire Sunday night near Fort Wayne, Indiana rolled over, killing the driver who was believed to be the only person in the truck. The firefighter, who has not been identified, lost control while turning at an intersection. The Washington Township Fire Department truck rolled over several times taking out three utility poles. Live electrical wires at the scene prevented firefighters from accessing the wreckage until the power had been shut off. Photos show extensive damage to the water tender.

Washington Township FD water tender
A Water Tender from the Washington Township Fire Department. Photo from their Facebook page.

The Washington Township FD’s Facebook page said the county coroner will be releasing the individual’s name following positive identification later on Monday.

Fatal wrecks involving water tenders (or “tankers”) are so common that the Centers For Disease Control issued a bulletin in 2001 through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health warning of the danger. Here is how NIOSH described the hazard:

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“Mobile water supply vehicles, known as tankers or tenders, are widely used to transport water to areas beyond a water supply system or where the water supply is inadequate. Incidents involving motor vehicles account for approximately 20% of U.S. fire fighter deaths each year; cases involving tankers are the most prevalent of these motor vehicle incidents. During 1977–1999, 73 deaths occurred in 63 crashes involving tankers. Of those deaths, 54 occurred in 49 crashes in which tankers rolled over (no collision), and 8 occurred in 6 crashes in which the tankers left the road (no collision). The other cases involved collision with another vehicle (10 deaths in 7 crashes) and collision with stationary object(s) (1 death) [NFPA 2000].

Tanker drivers may not be fully aware that tanker trucks are more difficult to control than passenger vehicles. A tanker truck requires a much greater distance to stop. Tankers weigh substantially more, and their air brake systems take more time to activate than the hydraulic/mechanical brake systems on smaller passenger cars. The effect is influenced by the amount of water the tanker is hauling and whether the tanker is baffled.”