On Thursday September 22 the Forest Supervisor of the Salmon-Challis National Forest released a statement about the September 20 death of Gerardo Rincon who passed away while assigned to the Moose Fire in Idaho:
It is with immense sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Gerardo Rincon of North Reforestation Inc. Gerardo suffered a medical emergency during the early morning hours of September 20th. He was a crew boss of a Type 2 crew that was assigned to the Moose Fire.
Gerardo served as a wildland firefighter since 1994. During his 28-year career he was a Type 2 firefighter, engine captain, and crew boss. He was highly recognized for his performance by his employers and crew members enjoyed working for him during many fire assignments.
Tragedies of this nature serve as a reminder of the honorable work and sacrifices made by women and men like Gerardo. They commit themselves daily to supporting and protecting communities around the country.
Our condolences go out to the entire Rincon family, their co-workers at North Reforestation Inc., and the firefighting community, their friends, and all those who knew and loved them. We are beyond grateful for their years of dedication and service to the wildfire community.
The Forest is working closely with the incident management team and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation to return Gerardo to his home in Oregon early Saturday morning, September 24th. There will be a procession from the Jones and Casey Funeral Home though downtown Salmon and to the Lemhi County Airport beginning at 9:00 am.
A viewing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28th at the Farnstrom’s Mortuary in Independence, Oregon from 5-8 pm. A funeral mass will occur on September 29th at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church followed by a burial at Hilltop Cemetery.
/s/ Charles A. Mark
Forest Supervisor
(end of statement)
North Reforestation wrote on their Facebook page that Mr. Rincon’s remains will arrive on Flight 802 at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Corvallis Municipal Airport, 5695 SW Airport Ave, Corvallis, OR. They wrote, “If anyone wants to be part of the procession on this Saturday as Gerardo arrives in Oregon, it will start at the airport and end at Farnstroms.”
North Reforestation is based in Monmouth, Oregon, just west of Independence.
The Moose Fire which started July 17, received rain Wednesday and Thursday. It has burned more than 130,000 acres northwest of Challis, Idaho.
Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers of Mr. Rincon.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tom and Pete.