A dozer operator died from an apparent heart attack Monday, July 8 while working to suppress the Pardee Fire northwest of Kamiah, Idaho according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Public Lands.
Dennis Long, a 65-year-old private logging contractor from Clarkston, suffered an apparent heart attack while building a fire line with the bulldozer. The dozer boss on the fire performed CPR on Mr. Long before a Life Flight crew and other emergency responders arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife and two adult daughters, all of Clarkston, were notified of his death Monday night.
Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Long’s family.
A memorial site was dedicated today to honor the four people that died when the Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) C-130 air tanker crashed in South Dakota exactly a year ago. MAFFS 7, from the 145 Airlift Wing in North Carolina, was dropping retardant to slow the spread of the White Draw Fire when it encountered turbulent air and crashed, killing Lt. Col Paul K. Mikeal, 42; Maj. Joseph M. McCormick, 36; Maj. Ryan S. David, 35, and Senior Master Sgt. Roberts S. Cannon, 50. Two crew members survived, Chief Master Sgt. Andy Huneycutt, and Master Sgt. Joshua Marlowe.
Family members had the opportunity Sunday to travel to the crash site about eight miles northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota. The new memorial is approximately 6 miles northeast of Edgemont on Highway 18 near the point of origin of the fire (map) where the motor home that started the blaze caught fire while pulling the grade between Edgemont and Hot Springs. The memorial consists of a gravel parking area with room for about six vehicles and it has two interpretive panels — one describing the White Draw Fire and the other covers the accident and the four victims.
The speakers at the dedication included: (left to right) Lt. Governor Matt Michels (at the podium); Lt. Col Dale Gadbois; Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest; Jajor General Timothy Reisch, S.D. Adjutant General; Major General Gregory Lusk, N.C. Adjutant General, and Mike Ortner, Chairman, Fall River County Commission. The family members were sitting in the front row and received copies of proclamations and other items. At the beginning and end of his presentation, Lt. Governor Matt Michels turned around and saluted in the direction of the crash site.
The very tragic deaths of most of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew on the Yarnell Fire Sunday may cause us to think about other similar incidents. It is not uncommon for firefighters to die on fires, in fact the National Interagency Fire Center has records of 1,030 fatalities of various causes on wildland fires, with 424 caused by burnovers, becoming entrapped in a fire.
But as many as 19 being killed at one time has not happened since October 3, 1933, when 25 firefighters were entrapped and killed while fighting a fire in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The only other incident with more than 19 wildland firefighter fatalities occurred on the “Big Blowup Fires” of August 21, 1910 when 72 firefighters died in Idaho.
According to records maintained by the National Interagency Fire Center, 21 firefighters have been killed on wildland fires in Arizona going back to 1955. The highest number on one fire up until today was on the Dude Fire, which coincidentally we wrote about earlier today.
More information: a partial list, by date of the year, of some of the more famous, or infamous, multiple fatality wildland fires around the world over the last 150 years.
(This article was updated numerous times over a couple of weeks, beginning June 30, 2017. To read it in chronological order, scroll to the bottom. The first entry was posted at 9:32 p.m. MDT, June 30, 2013)
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(UPDATED at 2:26 p.m. MDT, July 15, 2013)
Most of the funerals are over for the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots that were killed on the Yarnell Hill Fire June 30. From information provided by the incident management team that organized the services, the firefighters are listed below.
The incident management team has posted hundreds of photos of the memorial service, the procession, and the planning.
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(UPDATED at 10:20 a.m. MDT, July 5, 2013)
An article in the LA Times has some previously unpublished information about the last moments of the Granite Mountain 19. Apparently the crew was attempting to establish an anchor point, presumably at what had previously been the heel, or rear of the fire. They were constructing fireline and may have been burning out that day. A photo that I had not seen before that was texted to the father of one of the firefighters father at 4:04 p.m. shows a firefighter in what appears to be a burned area, looking at the fire. The text said: “This thing is running straight for Yarnell”. By 4:47 p.m. the Arizona State Forestry Division received word sent up through channels that fire shelters had been deployed on the Yarnell Hill Fire.
Below is an excerpt from the article:
Team leader [Crew Superintendent] Eric Marsh told his commanders via radio that the group had a predetermined safety zone. “He was calm, cool and collected,” Ward said. “They all stayed together. Nobody ran.”
Moments later — Ward doesn’t know how long — Marsh radioed his superiors a second time. This message was different: He and his men were going to deploy the small emergency shelters that were their last resort against an advancing fire.
“From what I’ve heard, it was the calmest they’ve ever heard Eric,” Ward said. “They were in a tight spot and everyone knew this was going to be a bitch. But his voice was very calm: ‘We’re deploying.’ ”
Fire officials tried desperately to save the men.
Danny Parker, a fire battalion chief from the nearby Chino Valley Fire Department whose son Wade Parker died with the other Granite Mountain crew members, said he learned from colleagues that his son was in trouble.
“They had deployed their emergency shelters, and helicopter crews were trying desperately to spot them through dense smoke,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes.
He said he was told that Sikorsky helicopters were making water drops in areas where they thought the trapped firefighters might be.
“They weren’t sure about the men’s position because they couldn’t see through the smoke,” he said.
Their bodies were found in a single group, huddled together.
Cari Gerchick, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in Phoenix, said the Hotshots died from burns, carbon monoxide poisoning or oxygen deprivation, or a combination of the factors. The autopsies were performed Tuesday, but more detailed autopsy reports should be released in three months, pending lab work.
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The Prescott Fire Department has brought in an Incident Management Team to help plan the events related to the deaths of the firefighters. They have established a web site that appears to be devoted to the scheduled events, as well as a Facebook page for photos and other information.
Their web site said that on Sunday, June 7 the remains of the 19 fallen fire fighters will be escorted with full Honor Guard from Phoenix to the Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office in Prescott. The procession will begin at 10 a.m. but the exact route is still being planned.
AZCentral has an article about a photo that has stirred some controversy. It shows flags draped over what appear to be body bags containing the 19 dead firefighters. They said the photo appeared on a Facebook page described on the site as “a community, news, and donation page (that) is not directly related to the Granite Mountain Hotshots personally.” AZCentral did not provide a link to the page or give its exact name but they do have a copy of the photo.
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(UPDATED at 7 p.m. MDT, July 3, 2013)
(Information about the Yarnell Hill Fire itself is in our main article about the fire. This one is devoted to the 19 firefighters that died.)
The memorial service, not the funerals, for the Granite Mountain 19 will be held Tuesday, July 9 from 11 am to 1 pm at the Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. There will be seating for 6,000 attendees with room for overflow outside.
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According to the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, the 3 official fundraising efforts to help the families of the fallen have raised about $700,000.
The 100 Club has raised approximately $500,000.
The Wildland Firefighters Foundation (52 Club) has raised approximately $120,000.
The United Phoenix Fire Fighters and Prescott Firefighters Charities have raised approximately $80,000. They can receive donations through PayPal.
In the Prescott/Yarnell area, two local fundraising events have been scheduled for this week.
4th of July Fireworks at Pioneer Park from 12 noon to 10 pm.
Whiskey Row Street Dance on Saturday, July 6th 5-11pm
Other fundraising events will be announced in the days to come.
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Residents of Yarnell can obtain updates on the status of their property by calling the County Emergency Operations Center at 928-777-7481.
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In the first 24 hours following the entrapment there were reports that up to six people had been injured and were being treated in hospitals, but there were no injuries, according to a spokesperson for the fire. There were 19 fatalities.
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The crew carriers of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were removed from the fire where they had been parked by the crew, to Prescott today. Prescott Fire, Prescott Interagency Hotshot Crew, and Ironwood Hotshot Crew escorted the group from the Yarnell Hill Fire to the City of Prescott.
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On Sunday, July 6, the Granite Mountain 19 will be escorted from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Phoenix to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Prescott. There will be 19 hearses, each with an honor guard member to accompany the fallen firefighter.
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The last members of the nine person team that will be investigating the fatalities of the 19 firefighters on the Yarnell Hill fire arrived Tuesday and received an inbriefing in Phoenix from the Arizona State Forester. One of their main objectives will be to explore lessons learned and how to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.
Described as an “independent investigation” in a news release, it will be led by Florida State Forester Jim Karels. Mike Dudley, Acting Director of Cooperative Forestry for the USDA Forest Service, will be the secondary team lead. Other entities participating in the investigation include the U.S. Forest Service’s Missoula Technology and Development Center, the Missoula Fire Department, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Some of the team members are technical specialists and fire behavior analysts.
The local liaisons to the nine-member Yarnell Hill Investigation Team are Arizona State Forester Scott Hunt and Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo.
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Carrie Dennett, a Fire Information Officer with the Arizona State Forestry Division, said the Arizona Dispatch Center first received a call at 4:47 p.m. June 30, that firefighters on the Yarnell Hill Fire had deployed fire shelters. The Dispatch Center was not in direct communication with firefighters on the ground at the fire. The information would typically have been relayed from the local Yarnell Hill Fire organization up through lower level dispatch offices.
Another spokesperson for the fire said the fatalities occurred between where the fire was at the time and the town. That would put the firefighters N, NW, or E of the town — between an approaching thunderstorm and the town. (UPDATE July 15, 2013: the possible but unconfirmed location is: Lat: 34.220392 Long:-112.777690 )
Radar at 4 pm MST, June 30, 2013. The pointer is at Yarnell, Arizona. The thunderstorm was moving toward the southwest. Radar image from WeatherUnderground.
Below is information provided by the U.S. Forest Service about the final arrangements for Luke Sheehy who lost his life while suppressing a wildfire in northern California on June 10. Mr. Sheehy was struck by a falling portion of a tree on the Saddle Back Fire in the South Warner Wilderness about 15 miles southeast of Alturas, Calif.
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“UPDATE: Latest on Saddle Back Incident Support
Release Date: Jun 17, 2013
Contact(s): Saddle Back Support Public Information (530) 638-3319
REDDING, Calif.– Preparations are underway to support the family of recently deceased firefighter Luke Sheehy. The 28-year-old perished on June 10 as a result of injuries received on the Saddle Back Fire on the Modoc National Forest in northeast California.
There will be a procession to honor and transport Luke Sheehy on Wednesday from Alturas, Calif. to Susanville, Calif. The Sheehy family would like the procession in Alturas to remain a private family affair. For Susanville, close family and the firefighter community are invited.
Details on the agency memorial ceremony are currently pending. The ceremony is planned for June 23 at 1 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium in Redding, Calif. The Sheehy family has requested that family members, close friends, fire community and all those who want to honor Luke are invited to attend.
The family will be holding a separate memorial at the Walker Mansion Inn located in Westwood, Calif. on June 22 at 2 p.m.
Those interested in showing support for the Sheehy family can send flowers, cards and donations to: Doug and Lynn Sheehy or Sheehy Family, 2850 Main St., Suite 12 #386, Susanville, CA 96130
Or the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Mail in a donation: Care of Sheehy Family. Make your check payable to: Wildland Firefighter Foundation, 2049 Airport Way, Boise ID 83705. Or, online at: http://www.wffoundation.org/ Or to any U.S. Bank location; account number: 157501822199 “
(Originally published at 11:12 a.m. MT, June 11, 2013; updated at 12:30 p.m. MT, June 11, 2013)
The U.S. Forest Service has released the following statement:
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“US Forest Service wildland firefighter dies in Northern California
Release Date: Jun 11, 2013
VALLEJO, Calif. – A 28-year-old firefighter from Susanville, Calif., died Monday afternoon [June 10] as a result of injuries received on a wildfire on the Modoc National Forest in northeast California. Luke Sheehy was a member of the California Smokejumpers, based out of Redding.
Sheehy was struck by a falling portion of a tree on the Saddle Back Fire in the South Warner Wilderness about 15 miles southeast of Alturas, Calif. The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. Efforts to resuscitate Sheehy were not successful. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Alturas where he was pronounced dead.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this brave young smokejumper who lost his life yesterday working with his team to control a blaze on the Modoc National Forest,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “We are launching a full review into the cause of his death to learn everything we can to prevent future tragedies like this.”
Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore echoed Chief Tidwell’s sentiments. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. It’s a devastating loss and is being felt throughout the entire Forest Service.”
The Saddle Back Fire is one of several dozen lightning-caused fires that began on multiple national forests throughout northern California on Sunday and Monday. It was first reported to the Modoc Interagency Communications Center about 3 p.m. Monday. Several U.S. Forest Service firefighters remain on scene suppressing the fire.”
After investigating the deaths of two firefighters in a fire near Harriteville, Victoria, a report released Tuesday concluded the management, strategy, and tactics employed on the fire were appropriate. Firefighters Katie Peters, 19, of Tallandoon, and Steven Kadar, 34, of Corryong, died on February 13 when a tree fell on their vehicle while they were working on the fire. The report was written by Victorian Emergency Services Commissioner Michael Hallowes.
Locals had questioned the management of the fire after it was under control, only for it to spot and then burn for another 55 days. The report said the fire spotted over firelines, “from one remote, steep and densely vegetated inaccessible area to another”.
A firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico collapsed and died May 5 while performing project work with his engine crew. The following message was distributed Monday, May 6, by Jeanne Higgins, Deputy Regional Forester for the USFS’ Southwestern Region.
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we share the tragic news of the death of Fallen Wildland Firefighter, Daniel Davidson. Davidson, age 26, was working on project work near Mayhill, NM, on Sunday afternoon with two other engine crew members, when he collapsed. CPR was administered immediately, however when emergency personnel responded with the Life Flight helicopter, Davidson was pronounced deceased at the scene.The cause of Daniel Davidson’s death is under investigation.
Davidson, a U.S. Army veteran had served two tours in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division. Following his tour in the Army, Davidson became a crew member of Engine 621 on the Sacramento Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest.
Our sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family of Daniel. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
White Draw Fire June 29, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Plans are underway to construct a memorial to honor the aerial firefighters killed in South Dakota July 1, 2012 when a military Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) C-130 aircraft crashed while dropping retardant on the White Draw Fire. Four members of the six-person air crew died when strong winds out of a thunderstorm caused the air tanker to impact the ground on a ridgetop northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota.
The aircraft that crashed was MAFFS #7 from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Killed were Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville; Maj. Joseph McCormick, 36, of Belmont; Maj. Ryan David, 35, of Boone; and Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, 50, of Charlotte. Two survived but were seriously injured — Chief Master Sgt. Andy Huneycutt and Sgt. Josh Marlowe of Boiling Springs.
MAFFS 7. Department of Defense photo.
The memorial will be approximately 6.5 miles northeast of Edgemont on Highway 18 near the point of origin of the fire (map), where the motor home that started the blaze caught fire while pulling the grade between Edgemont and Hot Springs. During May and June workers will construct a parking area and make room for interpretive signs that will tell the story of the fire and the fatal accident. Visitors at the memorial may be able to see the ridge which was the site of the crash. The construction is being coordinated by the South Dakota National Guard, according to Scott Jacobson, Public Information Officer for the Black Hills National Forest.
The dedication of the memorial is scheduled for July 1, 2013, exactly a year after the accident. There are reports that some family members of the victims from North Carolina will attend.
A firefighter with the State of New Jersey Forest Fire Service died while working on a prescribed fire Thursday, March 28. Jeffrey Scheuerer, 35, of Raritan Township, died from injuries after being struck by a vehicle near Round Valley Reservoir, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns.
“Mr. Scheuerer and other members were conducting a controlled burn along Route 629 near Round Valley Reservoir,” Mr. Kearns said. “According to our preliminary investigation, it appears that a heavy smoke condition associated with the controlled burn was present at the time of the crash and may have caused reduced visibility when a shift in the wind occurred. Mr. Scheuerer was struck by a vehicle and did not survive his injuries.”
On his days off Mr. Scheuerer served as a member of the Readington Volunteer Fire Company.
Our sincere condolences go out to his family and coworkers.
