The 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.”
Incredible photo: it should be enlarged to 36″ X 48″ poster and hung in the halls of every Agency fire station, as well as in every classroom for the Annual Refresher training. These folks were so lucky that they lived …..!
Not only lived but not seriously injured. The cab is destroyed. Their guardian angels must have been working overtime on this one.
From 1990 – 2012, vehicle accidents were the 2nd leading causes of death among wildland firefighters. Gotta remember that it’s more important to get to the fire safely than to get there quickly! Fatigue, dust, smoke, bad roads, excess speed all combine on many of our drives: be careful!