Updated at 8:53 a.m. PDT Sept. 5, 2021
Two firefighters assigned to wildfires in California have died.
One of two emails sent to employees on the Stanislaus National Forest about the fatality of one of their employee/retirees said he “passed away earlier this week due to complications of COVID-19 while assigned to the French Fire near Kernville, CA. He had been hospitalized in Bakersfield.”
The person’s name has not been released by the Stanislaus, but at least three sources confirm it was Allen Johnson.
Allen was a Forest Service retiree and was working as an Administratively Determined (AD) employee on the French Fire. The email to the forest’s staff said it’s very early in the process, but “Tentative plans for honoring Allen include a Dignified Transport of remains followed by a Memorial Service. To the best of our current knowledge, Allen’s dignified transport and Memorial Service will occur on or after September 26.”
California Interagency Incident Management Team 14 posted on Facebook Sept. 1, 2021, “Our team, the firefighting community, and the world lost a great friend, mentor, teacher and comrade last night. Retired South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team IC and Liaison Officer Allen Johnson passed away from complications related to COVID 19.”
So in the absence of official information from the US Forest Service about this line of duty death, it appears from the post by his incident management team that Allen died August 31, 2021.
Saturday night NBC Bay Area reported another fatality — a US Forest Service firefighter assigned to the Dixie Fire near Susanville, California.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service told NBC Bay Area Saturday that the firefighter, an employee with the Lassen National Forest died from an illness. The official added that the firefighter’s death was not related to the fire. No other details have been released at this time.
The official information from CAL FIRE about the Dixie Fire confirms there was a first responder fatality from an illness on September 2.
UPDATE at 11:08 a.m. PDT Sept. 6, 2021: NEWS4 reported today that the US Forest Service said the firefighter that died who had been assigned to the Dixie Fire was Marcus Pacheco, an assistant fire engine operator for the Lassen NF with 30 years of fire experience. He passed away Sept. 2 from what the USFS is calling an "unspecified illness". Late at night on September 5 the Lassen National Forest created a post on Facebook announcing the two fatalities and confirming the names.
The Dixie Fire has burned more than 889,000 acres near Susanville, California and is still actively spreading.
The 25,000-acre French Fire is west of Kernville, California.
Last week a strike team of five engines with 16 firefighters on the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe was quarantined for two weeks due to one of their members testing positive for COVID. There have been other reports of firefighters and crews sidelined, quarantined, or sickened, but specifics are hard to come by.
Two weeks ago Wildfire Today asked the five federal land management agencies for the number of their firefighters that have tested positive for COVID or had to quarantine after exposure. All five refused to release any information on the topic and would not explain their reasoning for keeping it secret. On September 2 we asked the US Forest Service again for the numbers of their firefighters who have tested positive for COVID, were hospitalized, or died. We are still waiting for the answers.
We send out our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of the two firefighters who passed away while on duty.
(Edited to include the names of the firefighters.)
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to people who passed along this information.
Worked with Allen on the Central Sierra T2 Team, we were Op Chiefs on the team together for 4 years. Allen was always a professional and well respected. Never rattled and always calm and in control on incidents. So sad that he has passed, he will be missed.
Devil’s Knob Complex is the only one I’ve seen that has published COVID numbers on Inciweb.
My heart goes out to the two families.
So, Firefighter Allen Johnson dies of Covid 19 in September of 2021. While vaccines have been available for 8 months to prevent news like this.
So sad and completely unnecessary.
J Smith..
Do you know his vaccination status ??
Just recently, I had an older friend who had been vaccinated with moderna go to the hospital for over a week with covid , and by all accounts was pretty touch and go for awhile.
So maybe we should just back off a little and let mr. Johnson rest in peace.
He certainly earned it
UPDATE at 11:08 a.m. PDT Sept. 6, 2021: NEWS4 reported today that the US Forest Service said the firefighter that died who had been assigned to the Dixie Fire was Marcus Pacheco, an assistant fire engine operator for the Lassen NF with 30 years of fire experience. He passed away Sept. 2.
My Brother was Hospitalized August 11
He was a water tender at Dixie fire West zone Camp. He died on September 5 from Smoke inhalation, Respiratory Failure and covid 19. At Shasta Regional Hospital in Redding CA. I believe that a Article was published from searchlight newspaper from Redding ca. My Brother and co worker also Hospitalized in San diego Ca.
If you Have any Questions contact me.
Most certainly condolences to friends, families, bro’s . Thanks for this article, and please do not let the agencies off the hook in terms of their responsibilities to accurately produce facts directly related to COVID spread , safety and prevention. I am aware the agencies have developed prevention standards, but that does not absolve them of reporting status of our WFF’s status in terms of those affected with COVID, given the spread of a much more virulent strain, DELTA.
Agreed with all the comments. Allen will be missed a good friend! Condolences to his family!
Allen was a great leader and mentor to me. I worked with him several times over the years including when he was trainer during my final type III IC assignment. So sorry to hear this tragic news. Thinking and praying for his family. I got many great memories of working with Allen. Rest in peace brother!
This is so sad! I’m so so so sorry for his family & friends! I’m so so so sorry that this is more about politics & not about what could have been done for ur loved one!! I know u don’t me, however I’m here if u need to talk! Buckle up tight, ur roller coaster ride is about to begin!!! Im sorry, cuz unfortunately that’s fact, it has some slower times just before the peeks then DROPS!!!!! It does get better in time! Like I did, hold on & b careful who u trust! I mean, I don’t care if u have known then 20 + years! EVERYBODY, HAS AN AGENDA, MINE IS THAT U DONT GET SCREWED, PLAYED, & HUMILIATED LIKE I DID! U CAN ASK ME ANYTHING!!
What a great loss for the Wildland Fire community. Allen was one of my favorites over the years. He made me proud to drive a green truck. There is no greater tribute to a leader of men. Rest in peace my friend.
I hope for his families sake this is a LODD. ?
Allen was a steady and reliable colleague. My condolences to his family on his passing.
I will pray for Allan’s family, this is a tough thing, I knew Allan from his CNF days, I believe he worked on the TRD, could be wrong.
This may not be the best forum for the vaccination talk, but why not….Just get your shots, if you are a single resource then you should be able to keep pour distance, stay out of tents….Aughhhhhh heck you know the drill……do it….
Dang, this is so tragic and the absence of transparency is perplexing, borderline criminal, and profoundly negligent. My condolences to the individuals and hope that in this loss the agencies find the morality, responsibility, and courage to do right by their employees and the public. Duty, Respect, and Integrity should not just be shallow words.
My condolences to Mr Allen Johnson’s family and the fire community. Unfortunately, more may get sick, as Covid protocols aren’t adhered to on some fires, as my husband has reported to me this summer even tho he does. It’s still, “a hoax.”
Minnie,
Unfortunately, it appears there is as much Anti Science and “voodoo self doctoring” on fire lines as there is in America in general. I wonder why so many people say Covid is a hoax but refuse to say Rabbis is a hoax? I wonder where this divergence in thought happened?
So unnecessary.
Every. Single. Day there are positive cases. One contractor died in his hotel alone while on one of the incidents. Nothing making the media though since the USFS is trying to hide the crappy treatment for forestry techs (because they won’t classify them as Firefighters)
I’ve known Allen for a long time, a huge loss for all of us !!
RIP Allen, good friend.