injury Archives - Page 9 of 10

Four firefighters burned on the Valley Fire in northern California

Bill GabbertSeptember 12, 2015September 12, 2015UncategorizedCalifornia, injury, Valley Fire10 Comments

Four firefighters working on a new wildfire in northern California suffered burns Saturday afternoon. Daniel Berlant of CAL FIRE said they were part of a helitack crew suppressing the Valley Fire. The firefighters from CAL FIRE helicopter 104 were transported to the Firefighters Burn Institute at the University of California at Davis.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday Mr. Berlant said the four fighters all suffered second degree burns and were in stable condition.

The Valley fire grew to 10,000 acres within six hours after it started at 1:24 p.m. By 10 p.m. it had exploded to 25,000 acres.

The Valley Fire is burning about 8 miles west of the Rocky Fire that burned about 70,000 acres near Clearlake, California north of San Francisco. It also grew very quickly, blackening over 8,000 acres within six hours of starting at 4:10 p.m. PT on July 29.

Mr. Berlant said the Valley Fire has caused evacuation orders to be posted for the communities of Cobb and Middletown.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Dick, Kelly, David, and Barbara.

Burn injury on the Rough Fire

Bill GabbertSeptember 7, 2015October 1, 2019Uncategorizedinjury, Rapid Extraction Module, Rough Fire7 Comments

(Originally published at 7:01 MDT, September 7, 2015)

A firefighter was burned today on the Rough Fire. Below is a news release from the incident management team:

At approximately 8:00 [on September 7, 2015], a firefighter was injured while working in the Converse Basin area of the Rough Fire. The firefighter was part of a hotshot crew working the night shift tasked with monitoring the fire line along Hoist Ridge, looking for spot fires that may have occurred outside the containment line.

Given the extremely steep, rugged terrain, a Rapid Extraction Module (REM) was dispatched to remove the firefighter from the scene to a road. The firefighter was delivered to an ambulance and transported to a nearby helispot. A helicopter then transported the patient to the hospital for treatment. The firefighter was conscious and alert at the time of the extraction.

The firefighter is now in the hospital, receiving treatment, in stable condition and good spirits. The firefighter’s family has been notified and is en route. The Forest Service is providing an employee advocate who is on scene to work with the firefighter’s family and medical staff to facilitate communication with all involved parties and deal with any needs of the family.

The Rough Fire, which started on July 31 east of Fresno, California, has burned over 95,000 acres.

Does anyone have details of what comprises a “Rapid Extraction Module” on a wildland fire?

****

(UPDATE September 8, 2015)

Our readers can provide a wealth of information.

Holly sent us a copy of the ICS Position Manual for the Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS), ICS- 223-12.
Kari Greer, in the comments, provided a link to some photos she took during a Rapid Extraction Module proficiency practice on the Happy Camp Complex last summer on the Klamath National Forest in California. That Module is from Sacramento Metro FD.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Barbara. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Three firefighters injured by falling tree in central California

Bill GabbertJuly 5, 2015UncategorizedCalifornia, injury3 Comments

Three firefighters were injured, one very seriously, by a falling tree July 3 in central California near Three Rivers, a town in the foothills of the Sierras. Damien Pereira, 25, underwent surgery Saturday to repair broken vertebrae, and more surgeries are planned to address his broken ribs and bruised internal organs.

Below is a news release issued July 4 by CAL FIRE.

Firefighter injured in bear attack

Bill GabbertJune 23, 2015Uncategorizedbear, injury

A firefighter working on the Juneau Lake Fire in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska sustained minor injuries in a bear encounter on June 22. The firefighter was transported by a life med helicopter from the remote Juneau Lake site (map) to a hospital in Anchorage, about 42 miles away by air. It would have been much longer if ground transportation had been used.

The firefighter walked from the encounter site to the helicopter and is undergoing standard treatment for animal bites.

Notification of any injury on a wildfire engages emergency response protocols. The Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 4 implemented its “incident within an incident” practices to deliver timely aid to the firefighter.

Below is a portion of a report on the Juneau Lake Fire from InciWeb:

An incident management team from Oregon assumed command of the Stetson Creek and Juneau Lake fires on June 19, 2015. The Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 4 (ORIIMT4), Brian Goff, incident commander, and a team of nine are stationed in Cooper Landing.

Firefighters assisting with suppression efforts include the Alaska Midnight Sun Hotshots and three Type 2 crews from National Forests in Montana: the Lolo, Bitterroot, and Beaverhead/Deer Lodge.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Chris.

Firefighter checking out dead bear was injured by power line

Bill GabbertMay 19, 2015May 19, 2015Uncategorizedinjury, Virginia

A firefighter working on a fire on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests in Bath County, Virginia on May 15 walked over to look at a dead bear and was injured by by a low-hanging power line.

From the “24-hour Report”:

Job Corps Hand Crew was performing mop-up operations within one chain of the fire perimeter. Crew was aware of a dead bear three chains away along the power line and walked over to observe the bear. One of the crew members walked between the bear’s location and the low hanging power line and received electrical burns. The crew member was triaged on site by an EMT firefighter. The crew member was transferred by ambulance to a local hospital and then air lifted to a regional burn unit. Notifications were made to Forest Supervisor, SACC/F&AM, Regional Forester and the Washington Office.

And, an update from the “72-hour Report”

Since the incident, the low hanging power line has been repaired by the power company. The injured firefighter is being treated at a Regional Burn Center located in Richmond, Virginia. The firefighter has been improving since the incident occurred. The injured firefighter will be in the hospital from one to three weeks, depending on recovery.

Firefighter injured in Iowa wildfire

Bill GabbertApril 3, 2015Uncategorizedinjury, Iowa

Spring Run fire — Fire near Spring Run in Iowa. Photo by Milford Fire and Rescue.

A firefighter was seriously injured while fighting a wildfire in northern Iowa on Wednesday.

Below are excerpts from Explore Okoboji:

It took firefighters from seven area fire departments as well as a firefighting unit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service several hours to extinguish a massive fire late Wednesday afternoon and evening in the Spring Run complex east of Arnolds Park. Spirit Lake Fire Chief Pat Daly tells KUOO news his department was the first to arrive on the scene.

Daly says the blaze became so large and wind driven that it actually jumped a road.

One firefighter was seriously injured battling the blaze. He’s been identified as Jim Nygaard of the Superior Fire Department. Nygaard was transported by ambulance to Lakes Regional Healthcare and was transferred by air to a burn unit at a Twin Cities hospital. Information on his condition and extent of injuries wasn’t immediately available. KUOO news has learned a tractor Nygaard was using to help put out the blaze caught on fire.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Dick, Kelly, David, and Barbara.

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Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Chris.

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