Trampus Haskvitz was entrapped and killed while fighting the Coal Canyon Fire in 2011.
Continue readingTrampus Haskvitz golf tournament to benefit the WFF
On Saturday 144 firefighters, golfers, and other good-hearted people participated in the Second Annual Trampus Haskvitz golf tournament in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The event benefits the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF) which was instrumental in assisting the family of Trampus when he was killed while fighting the Coal Canyon Fire northeast of Edgemont, SD on August 11, 2011. One of the organizers estimated that the proceeds from the entrance fees which will be forwarded to the WFF will be well into five digits.
At the severe risk of leaving out people, some of the folks that should get credit for pulling off this fund-raising event for the second year in a row include the Hot Springs Fire Department, South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire, the Haskvitz family, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, and the Black Hills National Forest.
Report released for the fatal Coal Canyon Fire
The U.S. Forest Service has released the Serious Accident Investigation Report for the Coal Canyon Fire, on which firefighter Trampus Haskvitz of Hot Springs, South Dakota was killed August 11, 2011 in the Black Hills of South Dakota north of Edgemont. In addition to Trampus, two firefighters received serious burns and two others had minor burns. Two firefighters were entrapped in an engine. One, Trampus, remained entrapped and died; the other, K.C. Fees escaped. Austin Whitney who was outside the engine, was transported to a Greeley, Colorado Burn Center. The two firefighters who received minor burns during rescue efforts were treated at local hospitals and released. Mr. Haskvitz and Mr. Whitney both worked for the South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division.
You can download the report HERE. You should read the entire report to get a clear understanding of the sequence of events, but here are some of the key points:
About 15 minutes after the first engine crews arrived at the scene of the fire, they said it was about 1.5 acres in size and estimated the flame lengths to be 0 to 3 feet. Their plan was to anchor near the fire’s origin and use direct fireline to pinch off the fire. Their escape route was down the road beyond the fire’s heel.
The engines were on a narrow dirt road. The fire was on a slope below them and also on the slope on the opposite side of the drainage. A spot fire occurred above the road, then the main fire spread up the slope to the road and crossed it.
Other engines were able to leave the area before the worst of the fire hit the road. One engine tried to escape by driving forward but encountered a wall of fire crossing the road. They backed up in the heavy smoke, going less than 80 feet, and hit a cut bank. At that point truck’s engine died and the fire overran their location. Two firefighters, Haskvitz and Fees, were in the truck as it ignited and began to burn. They deployed one fire shelter inside the cab and tried to use it to protect them both, but the other person had difficulty deploying the second shelter in the cab of the truck. A helicopter heard their mayday calls and tried to drop water on the burning engine, but initially the pilot could not see it in the smoke.
Other firefighters made several heroic attempts to rescue the entrapped firefighters but were driven back by the heat. Fees took a deep breath and escaped from the burning engine, but Haskvitz did not make it out of the cab.
The report does not speculate why the truck’s engine stopped running, but it has happened before on fires when vehicles are in very heavy smoke and there is simply not enough oxygen in the air to support combustion of the fuel in the vehicle’s engine.
A third crewmember assigned to the engine was outside it to the rear when the engine with the two people tried to escape by driving away. As it departed a blast of heat hit him and he dropped to the ground with no time to deploy his fire shelter.
Below is an excerpt from the “Analysis and Conclusion” section of the report:
…Up until the accident, the firefighting professionals involved in the Coal Canyon Fire reasoned the risks of engaging and suppressing this fire to be relatively low and the benefits of direct suppression to be worth this low risk. After considerable review of the incident, including the leadership, qualifications, training, interagency cooperation, fuels, weather, the organization, and local policies, the SAI team has concluded that the judgments and decisions of the firefighters involved in the Coal Canyon Fire were appropriate.
Firefighters all performed within the leaders’ intent and scope of duty, as defined by their respective organizations. The team did not find any reckless actions or egregious violations of policy or protocol. In fact, the SAI Team found the actions of the firefighters involved with the Coal Canyon Fire to be fully consistent with local and national policy and meeting the intent of leadership expectations. Many decisions and actions on the Coal Canyon Fire were manifestly heroic, demonstrating the best of wildland fire professionalism.
The report has very little in the way of analysis and recommendations. Later the investigation team intends to produce separate documents focused on learning from this tragedy. Those documents will provide an Expanded Narrative and an in-depth Discussion and Analysis around human variability, risk management and resilience, as well as additional considerations and recommendations.
Wildfire Today covered the fire, the fatality, the severely burned firefighter, and Trampus’ funeral services, which were attended by approximately 1,700 firefighters and other mourners. A procession of over 130 fire department vehicles escorted Trampus to the cemetery. We recorded most of the procession on video.
An earlier version of this article misidentified one of the firefighters that was in the entrapped engine. Wildfire Today regrets the error.
Fund raiser for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
The family that lost their son, Trampus Haskvitz, to a wildfire last year was so impressed with the support they received from the Wildland Firefighter Foundation that they are helping to organize a fund raiser for the organization. Here is a message from them and others asking for us to contribute.
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Dear Firefighters,
On August 11, 2011, South Dakota lost a brave Wildland Firefighter in the Coal Canyon Fire near Edgemont, South Dakota.
Trampus S. Haskvitz was a recent graduate of Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota and was in his fifth year of firefighting based out of Hot Springs, SD with the South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division as a FFT I ICT 5. He was an Engine Boss when he tragically lost his life saving others from a wildfire.
In his memory and to honor all Wildland Firefighters, his family is planning the First Annual Trampus S. Haskvitz Golf Tournament in Hot Springs, South Dakota on June 2, 2012 to raise funds for the Wildland Firefighters Foundation (WFF) based in Boise, Idaho. All proceeds collected as a result of the golf tournament will go to the WFF.
To make the golf tournament as meaningful and successful for the Wildland Firefighters Foundation as possible, Trampus’ family is respectfully soliciting donations from the fire community. Any merchandise, gift certificates or cash will be gratefully accepted. Cash donations can be sent directly to the 1st Annual Trampus S Haskvitz Golf Tournament at Wells Fargo Bank in Hot Springs SD. Questions or concerns about merchandise and gift certificates, please contact Jim Stevens Chief of the Hot Springs VFD.
The mission of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation is to honor past, present, and future Wildland firefighters. The Foundation helps maintain and grow the national monument established for those who have lost their lives in Wildland fires and to operate a financial fund providing assistance to the families of fallen and injured Wildland firefighters. In addition, the Foundation partners with private and interagency organizations to educate the public about Wildland fires and to promote excellence and safety in firefighting.
Trampus’ family and his firefighting colleagues in Hot Springs would like to thank you in advance for any support you can provide this annual event. It promises to be an exciting and fun weekend in the Black Hills of South Dakota and you can make a very positive impact on the Wildland Firefighting Community with your support.
Compassion Spreads Like Wildfire.
Respectfully,
Trampus’ Family: Don, LuJean, Benjamin, Betsy and John Haskvitz
Jim Strain, Assistant Chief of Operations, South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire Suppression; Office Phone: 605-393-8114, for any questions or concerns.
Jim Stevens, Chief of the Hot Springs VFD; Cell #: 605-890-2124, for any questions concerning merchandise and gift certificates.
P.S. We will be putting the information to register for the 1st Annual Trampus S Haskvitz Golf Tournament on the internet soon and will inform you of the domain in the near future.
Firefighter entrapped in Coal Canyon fire interviewed
The Coal Canyon fire in South Dakota left one firefighter dead and another hospitalized with serious burns. Trampus Haskvitz was killed but his crew mate, Austin Whitney, is out of the hospital and recently submitted to an interview on a local television station. The video is HERE, and below is a portion of the transcript:
It’s a nightmare scenario for firefighters: being trapped in a fire with no way out.
“I just thought, ‘I’m never going to see my family again,'” Austin Whitney said.
On the afternoon of August 11, Whitney was battling the Coal Canyon Fire with two other men, KC Fees and Trampus Haskvitz, when the fire overtook them.
“When I looked up and seen nothing but a wall of flame, I tried to make a run for it. I wasn’t thinking straight,” Whitney said.
The fire had gotten below the crew and was racing up the hill towards them.
“Then I realized that it wasn’t worth running and I just dropped to the ground, no time to get to my fire shelter,” Whitney said.
Unprotected on the ground, Whitney believed that his life was over.
“As soon as I got turned around and saw that wall of flame I was like, ‘I’m dying at 22 years old. I’m dead,’ was the only thing I could repeat in my mind. ‘I’m dead,'” Whitney said.
Other articles on Wildfire Today about the Coal Canyon fire.
Update on firefighter burned on the Coal Canyon fire (updated)
(Scroll down to see an update.)
The Rapid City Journal has an article that updates us on the condition of Austin Whitney who was seriously burned on the Coal Canyon fire in southwest South Dakota August 11, 2011. Austin’s partner on the engine crew that was burned over, Trampus Haskvitz, was killed on that fire.
Here are some excerpts from the article:
Firefighter Austin Whitney said he will be back at his job with South Dakota Wildland Fire Supression as a seasonal firefighter.
“I’m still a little sore in the arms, but that’s why there’s physical therapy,” Austin, 22, said Wednesday during a telephone interview from the Western States Burn Center at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colo. Doctors will tell Austin today if he is ready to head home to Hot Springs and begin the next phase of his recovery.
[…]
“The pain was unbearable,” Austin said, when asked about his injuries. Immediately after the incident, all he wanted to do was go home and see his family, he said.
Austin has a lengthy recovery ahead of him. He had four skin grafts Aug. 15 to cover third-degree burns on his left arm and second-degree burns on his right arm and both calves. The largest is about 29 inches along and covers most of his left arm. Skin was grafted on his right elbow and small areas below the elbow, and there are 4-inch by-6-inch grafts on the calf of each leg, his father, Robert Whitney, said.
[…]
Austin Whitney said his personal protective fire-resistant clothing “did its job for what I was in.” His leather gloves prevented any significant injuries to his fingers. He had only a couple minor burns on a finger and thumb.
For the next year, Austin will require therapy to flex and stretch the skin grafts. Most of his range of motion has returned, his father said.
“On the elbows, I still need to stretch the skin,” Austin added, noting that the graft areas are still tender. “Everything else, I’m doing just fine.”
[…]
Since his hospitalization, Austin has received visits from countless firefighters. His T-shirt and hoodie collection of fire agency logos has grown by 16 pieces.
The cards, flowers and letters made a “big difference” in Austin’s recovery, Robert Whitney said.
The Wildfire Firefighter’s Foundation has assisted the Whitneys with their expenses in Greeley, Robert Whitney said. He suggests that anyone who is interested in supporting firefighters make a donation to the organization.
“It’s an overwhelming deal, that when something like this happens, how the firefighter brotherhood will band together and support the families and friends,” Robert Whitney said.
[…]
Austin remembers most of what happened the afternoon of the fire, but there are parts of the incident he cannot talk about because of the investigation.
“I do know that I did get pulled out by a couple Forest Service guys,” Austin said. “They got me into a safety zone after the fire was backing down.”
According to a U.S. Forest Service 72-hour report on the incident that killed Haskvitz, Forest Service, state and volunteer firefighters responded to the fire about 1:30 p.m. in Coal Canyon, 9 miles north of Edgemont.
Firefighters were digging a line around the flank of the fire when they were trapped about 3:10 p.m., when their escape route was overtaken by what the report termed a “rapidly spreading fire.” Haskvitz died in his vehicle, according to the report.
Austin said there wasn’t time for him to deploy his “shake and bake,” the small safety tents wildland firefighters carry.
“I didn’t have time to. I wish I would have,” Austin said.
Austin Whitney has told his father that flames were probably 100 to 200 feet tall coming up the canyon.
“It was just one of those things you just couldn’t avoid,” Austin said. “It’s one of those things that everyone wishes they could have” avoided.
The Forest Service firefighters who pulled Austin Whitney out of the fire have not been identified by fire authorities.
Robert Whitney joins his son in thanking those firefighters.
We hope Austin has a speedy recovery.
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UPDATED at 4:40 p.m. MT, August 25, 2011:
Jim Strain of the South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire Suppression tells us that Austin was discharged from the Burn Center in Greeley, CO this afternoon. His plans are to stay overnight in Greeley and visit some local fire departments on Friday morning before returning to his home in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Then with visiting nurses, he will continue home care, including rehab and physical therapy.
This is good news!
Update on firefighter injured on Coal Canyon fire
Austin Whitney, one of the firefighters that was injured on the Coal Canyon fire in South Dakota when their engine crew was trapped between a spot fire and the main fire, is recovering from his burns in a hospital in Greely, Colorado. His fellow crew member, Trampus Haskvitz, was killed during that burn over. Austin works for the South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire Suppression and their Assistant Chief for Operations, Jim Strain, has been proactive in monitoring his recovery and providing assistance to the family. Jim was involved in setting up a CaringBridge.org web site where those interested in Austin’s condition can keep up to date on his status. Here is some information from that site, which was updated on August 17:
Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We’ve created it to keep friends and family updated about our loved one. Get started by reading the introduction to our website, My Story.
This story is about Austin Whitney, a State of South Dakota Div of Wildland Fire Suppression Seasonal firefigher that works in the Hot Springs Field Office. On August 11, at around 1500 hours, The crew of State Engine 561 of Trampus Haskvitz, KC Fees and Austin Whitney were entrapped in an engine burnover on the initial attack of the Coal Canyon fire. We lost Trampus in that incident, but KC and Austin survived and this is Austin’s story of recovery. Austin comes from a long family line of wildland firefighters in the Pringle SD area.
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by JES
Talked to Austin’s Dad, and he said that Austin is doing as well as expected after the skin grafting surgical procedure on Monday. The team grafted skin on his left arm and on his shins. The surgical dressing and wrapping should be coming off in the next few days, and that is good news. Austin is in good spirits and appreciates very much the visits from the Greeley FD, and other fire departments. In fact, Evans FD [near Greely, CO] dropped by, along with Colorado State Forest Service, and the Rocky Mountain National Park
Fire UseFuels Module. They dropped off crew T-shirts and Austin’s parents said that Austin appreciates very much the chance to visit and talk to his fellow firefighters about the fire and his recovery. They can talk in language that he can understand and that makes him feel bonded to the world of wildland fire. Sounds like Fort Collins and Boulder will be coming by in the future, and Austin is looking forward to those visits as well. (8-17, JES)
If you want to visit Austin, first contact his father via email at: pit boss 83 at hot mail dot com. (Remove all spaces, and you know what to do with the “at” and “dot”.) His father knows which times are best for visits. Austin is in the Western States Burn Center at the North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th Street, Greeley, CO 80631-5199.
Three other firefighters were also injured, one working for the State of South Dakota, and two who work for the U. S. Forest Service. They were all treated at a hospital and released.
I knew that the Wildland Firefighter Foundation has been assisting the families of the firefighters affected by the burn over, and I asked Jim Strain for a few more details in the case of Austin and his family. Here is his response:
As for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, enough cannot be said. Vicki Minor, the executive director, stepped up the first day and arranged hotel rooms and a rental car for Austin’s family. And Vicki stays in contact with the family and is helping to support them while they are staying the Greeley Area. Her years of experience in dealing with this type of situation is invaluable.
Consider making a donation to the WFF. They do great work for injured firefighters and their families. I just re-upped my membership in the 52 Club, which represents a dollar for each week of the year.
More information about the Coal Canyon fire burn over:
- August 11: South Dakota firefighter killed on Wildfire
- August 13: Update on the fatal Coal Canyon fire
- August 14: Coal Canyon fire injury update
- August 16: Services held for Trampus Haskvitz
Coal Canyon fire fatality, 72-hour report
Below is a portion of the “Expanded 72-hour report” issued by the U. S. Forest Service’s Washington Office for the incident on the Coal Canyon fire which resulted in the death of firefighter Trampus S. Haskvitz.
Services held for Trampus Haskvitz (updated)
Tuesday afternoon the life of Trampus Haskvitz was celebrated at Hot Springs, South Dakota. Trampus was killed in the line of duty on the Coal Canyon fire northeast of Edgemont, SD on August 11 when he became trapped between a spot fire and the main fire.
The services were held at the Mueller Center in front of a standing room only crowd. There were an estimated 1,300 people in the main auditorium plus an additional 400 who watched it on video in another room.
Speakers during the service included South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, Joe Lowe director of the South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division, Trampus’ brother Ben, and Chaplin Morris Nelson.
While Trampus was a firefighter with the state of South Dakota, the Coal Canyon fire is primarily on U. S. Forest Service land and is listed as a USFS-responsibility fire. The USFS sent a sizeable delegation of high-ranking personnel, including Tom Harbour the Director of Fire and Aviation, and various regional officials, including, I believe, a couple of Regional Foresters.
The Rapid City Fire Department assisted with the planning of the services and also supplied the Honor Guard.
After the services in the Mueller Center, a procession of over 130 fire department vehicles escorted Trampus to the cemetery. Unlike most fire department funerals, most of the trucks were brush engines, rather than structure rigs.
The Rapid City Journal has had extensive coverage of this tragedy, and that continued with their excellent article in Wednesday’s paper written by Kevin Woster. Here is an excerpt:
They buried a hero here Tuesday, on a summer day that began with smoke from the fire that killed him hanging in the air above this Southern Hills town.
Trampus Haskvitz, 23, a Buffalo Gap native remembered for his strong heart, gentle spirit and fearless approach to life, died last Thursday fighting the Coal Canyon Fire in the rugged canyon lands near Edgemont.
And smoke from that waning blaze, which was 95 percent contained on Tuesday, created a hazy beginning to a day that drew hundreds of firefighters to say goodbye.
Chaplain Morris Nelson noted the poignant presence of that smoke during a memorial service for Haskvitz at the Mueller Center Auditorium.
“Trampus died last Thursday fighting the fire you can still smell,” Nelson said to about 1,500 people in the packed auditorium.
The crowd included Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker, who sat with officers from the city fire department and police department, which just last week buried two of its officers slain in a North Rapid gunfight that draped the city in sadness.
The death of Haskvitz heaped tragedy upon tragedy. And Chaplain Nelson urged those who knew and loved him to remember Haskvitz and his sacrifice whenever they saw or smelled a fire.
Nelson was joined by a fire commander, a governor, a teacher and a brother in offering eulogies to Haskvitz, a college football player who honed that athleticism in seasonal firefighting work for the state Wildland Fire Suppression Division.
…
In his eulogy, Gov. Dennis Daugaard turned to the John Donne poem “No Man is an Island” and its powerful message of interconnectedness, particularly “any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind.”
The ending of the poem, “never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee” was especially personal, because the memorial service ended with a traditional firefighter’s “last alarm.”
On a shining fire bell near Haskvitz’ casket, an honor squad member from the Rapid City Fire Department rang a sequence of three rings three times, concluding the service as many wept.
Other articles in the Rapid City Journal:
- Editorial: Firefighters risk their lives for us
- Community mourns loss of brother, friend
- A gallery of photos from the funeral procession
The video below shows the first 15 minutes of the 18-minute procession as it passed by my location (YouTube has a 15-minute limit). The fire trucks begin showing up at 2:10 minutes into the video.
Here are some photos I took on Tuesday.
Coal Canyon fire injury update
Jim Strain, Assistant Chief for Operations with the South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire Suppression, distributed the information below about the condition of Austin Whitney who was seriously injured while fighting the Coal Canyon fire north of Edgemont, South Dakota on Thursday, August 11. This is the same fire on which Trampus Haskvisk was killed when their engine crew was burned over. Information about Trampus’ funeral can be found HERE. Three other firefighters were also injured on Thursday but were treated and released.
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Just wanted to pass on an update on the condition of Austin Whitney, the SDS WFS seasonal firefighter that was involved in the burn over of State Engine 561 on the Coal Canyon fire on Thursday.
This information has been provided by the family and Austin, and they want to share this information, so feel free to pass on to anyone else that wants to know. My e-mail list is by no means inclusive.
Austin is at the Western States Burn Unit in the North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. I accompanied the family down to Greeley on Friday, and have been in contact since my arrival back home. But as of today, Austin had 13% of his body burned, and will be going procedures starting Monday to skin graft the serious burned area on his left elbow and arm. Thankfully, his lungs and airways were spared from the heat. But he has a long road ahead with recovery and rehab. Austin is engaged and alert, shows a determined spirit, visits with the nurses and family when he can, and is talking to friends and family on his cell phone.
The family asked if some of fellow fire crew members from the Hot Springs field office could visit, so I have sent down Steve Esser, Ben Maisel and Kevin Fees today to visit with family and Austin before he starts the skin graft procedure. Steve will provide an updated report to us when gets back. In addition, Bob Whitney, Austin’s dad, did an interview with the Rapid City Journal about Austin, and that should be in the newspaper soon.
The Wildland Firefighter Foundation has been most supportative and helpful. They have provided the rental car and motel rooms for the family and his fiancé, Becky Dawson. The Greeley Fire Department has dropped by everyday to check on the family.
Cards and letters can be sent to: North Colorado Medical Center, Attn: Austin Whitney, Burn Unit, 1801 16th St, Greeley Colorado, 80631. We will be working with the family to get a Caring Bridge website set up. Bob and Julie Whitney, Austin’s mom and dad, are always appreciative of any support they can get at this time.
Jim Strain
Asst Chief Operations