CAL FIRE has released the name of the firefighter that was killed on the Thomas Fire in Southern California today.
CAL FIRE officials hold a press conference after the death of firefighter Cory Iverson in the Thomas Fire.
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(Originally published at 3:26 p.m. MST December 14, 2017)
A firefighter from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection was killed today while battling the huge Thomas Fire in Southern California. The family has been notified but no details have been released except that the victim was a male Engineer from the San Diego County unit.
“I am very saddened to report that a firefighter fatality has occurred on the Thomas Incident,” Chief Ken Pimlott, the director of CAL FIRE, said in a statement. “The incident is still unfolding, but in this world of fast moving information, it is important to me that only factual information be shared. To that end, I can confirm a fatality of a CAL FIRE Engineer from the San Diego Unit has occurred. IMT 4, CAL FIRE Local 2881, and Southern Region leadership are working to support the Unit and his family, who have been notified.
“More details will be made available as they are confirmed.”
Our sincere condolences go out to the Engineer’s family, friends, and co-workers.
Since the Thomas Fire started on December 4 it has burned 242,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. A few days after the fire started a civilian was killed in a vehicle accident during the evacuation.
KQED reports that Tehama Transport, the owner of the truck that rolled over, failed to provide workers compensation insurance for their employees.
According to KQED the state of California has cited the company that employed the firefighter killed in Northern California October 16 while operating a water tender on the Tubbs Fire.
Screen capture from KCRA video of water tender accident in Napa County October 16, 2017.
Garrett Paiz, 39, died when the water tender he was driving rolled over while descending Oakville Grade west of Highway 29. Mr. Paiz was the only firefighter killed on the numerous large fires that broke out during a wind event in Northern California October 8-9. About 40 civilians died in the fire storms which also destroyed thousands of homes.
Investigations by the California Department of Industrial Relations and the state Labor Commissioner’s Office found that the owner of the truck, Tehama Transport, failed to procure workers compensation insurance for their employees.
Below are excerpts from articles at KQED:
The company, like scores of other contractors, has provided water tenders and bulldozers to firefighting efforts. Firms that contract with Cal Fire for heavy equipment are required to provide copies of their current workers’ compensation insurance policies for their employees.
But Tehama Transport did not have to abide by that requirement because it registered as an “owner/operator.” Under that classification, the company was saying that Paiz either had ownership in the company or was a relative of someone who did.
Without that coverage, Paiz’s family, his wife and teenage daughter, might lose out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits.
Cal Fire has hired the company 56 times and the U.S. Forest Service has hired the firm 47 times since 2006, according to documents obtained by KQED.
Tehama Transport appealed the penalty, leading to a hearing that took place Monday. A hearing officer’s decision on the dispute is pending.
Minutes after Mr. Reagan began operating the piece of equipment for Czirban Concrete Construction on contract to CAL FIRE, it rolled over.
According to KQED news, Cal/OSHA issued five citations to Czirban totaling $20,000. The largest was $13,500 for not wearing a seat belt.
Czirban had not secured workers’ compensation insurance for Mr. Reagan as required, and had been cited eight times in four years by the Contractors State License Board, several times because of worker’s compensation issues.
CAL FIRE was cited for failing to report a serious injury within eight hours and another for failing to maintain an effective injury and illness prevention program.
James Hargrave. Photo from the office of Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier.
A volunteer firefighter from southeast Alberta was killed in a vehicle accident Tuesday night October 17.
James Hargrave, a 34-year old firefighter with Cypress County Fire Services was working on a wildfire that started in Alberta and spread into Saskatchewan where it was moving toward the towns of Leader and Burstall.
Mr. Hargrave was driving a water tender that collided with a pickup. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said he died at the scene. The driver of the pickup had minor injuries.
“James was very community-minded and joined the fire services to help and protect residents far and near. He was a great father and will be dearly missed by his wife, children, extended family, friends, neighbours and fellow first responders,” Cypress County said in a news release. “He was a great father and will be dearly missed by his wife, children, extended family, friends neighbours and fellow first responders.”
Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Hargrave’s family, coworkers, and friends.
Map showing fires detected in southeast Alberta by a satellite at 2:55 p.m. MDT October 17, 2017.
The accident occurred near the 51,512-acre Nuns Fire.
Screen capture from KCRA video of water tender accident in Napa County.
(UPDATE October 17, 2017: the driver that was killed in the water tender accident has been identified as 38-year-old Garrett Paiz, a volunteer firefighter from Missouri. The truck was owned by Red Bluff-based Tehama Transport.)
The wildfires in Northern California have taken another life, adding to the tally of 40 announced fatalities.
KCRA is reporting that a contract firefighter was killed October 16 when a water tender rolled over in Napa County at 6:50 a.m. near the Nuns Fire north of San Francisco.
CAL FIRE confirmed that the operator was assigned to the 51,512-acre Nuns Fire.
The accident occurred on a steep downhill section of Oakville Grade about two miles west of Highway 29.
Fatal rollovers of fire trucks, especially water tenders, is far too common. We have documented more than three dozen similar accidents (tag: rollover).
Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers of the firefighter whose name has not yet been announced.
This morning, a private water tender driver assigned to the #NunsFire tragically died in a vehicle rollover on Oakville Grade in Napa Co. pic.twitter.com/GBy5g8KzOH
Monday, Oct. 9 UPDATE: Officials identified the victim as 58-year-old Bryan Burr, of Alpine, Utah. The Salk Lake Tribune newspaper reported Burr was the brother-in-law of Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
We have also learned he was the co-owner and president of a charter helicopter service. Visit FireAviation.com to learn more.
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Original story:A man was killed Saturday October 7 during Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) operations on the Brian Head Fire in southwest Utah. The 58-year old crew member on the ground from Alpine, Utah was giving directions to a helicopter dropping straw mulch when he was struck on the head. The pilot saw the injured man and contacted others who called 911.
Brian Head Marshall Jeff Morgan was flown to the remote site off State Route 143 about 1:45 p.m. and determined that the man had died.
Map showing planned BAER treatments on the Brian Head Fire.
A statement from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office read:
It was determined he likely died as a result of blunt force trauma from falling debris during the airdrop.
It was not clear from the statement if the man was hit by straw mulch or debris from a nearby tree as the straw fell.
The identity of the person killed has not been released.
Since an aircraft was involved in the fatality the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the accident.
Map of the Brian Head Fire in southwest Utah. The red line was the perimeter at 2:30 a.m. MDT June 29, 2017. The white line was the perimeter 24 hours earlier.
The Brian Head Fire burned over 63,000 acres in late June. On August 25 BAER teams began dropping 3,200 tons of wheat straw from helicopter nets to cover the soil surface. The additional ground cover increases the germination of seeds dropped earlier and helps absorb raindrop impact lessening water runoff potential.
File photo of a BAER team member on the Brian Head Fire, July 8, 2017. BAER team photo.
Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers. Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Charlie. Typos or errors, report them HERE.
A roadside memorial is growing for U.S. Forest Service firefighter who was killed in a vehicle accident August 31 in California.
Above: Roadside memorial for Chief Gary Helming who was killed in a vehicle accident near this location August 31, 2017. Photo by John Szalay, September 17, 2017.
(Originally published at 10:38 a.m. MDT September 25, 2017)
Gary Helming, a Battalion Chief with the Los Padres National Forest in southern California, was returning from a wildfire on the Sierra National Forest when a Ford F-350 traveling in the opposite direction suffered a tire failure, crossed the middle of the road, and struck his vehicle head-on. Chief Helming was killed and the other driver, Antonio Avalos of Santa Maria, was airlifted to a hospital.
The accident occurred on Highway 41 just south of state Route 33 in Kings County, California.
Chief Helming had been released the previous evening from the Railroad Fire on the Sierra National Forest.
Roadside memorial for Chief Gary Helming who was killed in a vehicle accident at this location August 31, 2017. Photo by John Szalay, September 17, 2017.
John Szalay took the above photos September 17, 2017 of the memorial that has developed near the accident site. He said it is on State Route 41 less than two miles south of State Route 33. There are large turnouts on both sides of the road in case others would like to stop and pay their respects, he said.
Chief Helming started out as a seasonal firefighter and spent 22 years with the U.S. Forest Service. During his career, he also worked with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service but returned to the USFS in 2013. He was stationed in Santa Maria as Battalion Chief with the Los Padres National Forest. His wife, Andrea, has served as Air Tanker Base Manager for the agency at Santa Maria. They have three children.
On January 21, 2015 Chief Helming was honored by the Santa Maria Elks Lodge as Outstanding Firefighter of the Year for Los Padres National Forest’s Santa Lucia Ranger District.
Chief Gary Helming, February 4, 2015. USFS photo.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to John. Typos or errors, report them HERE.
