Tag: lodd

NIOSH releases report on LODD near Gorman, Texas

In April, 2011, Wildfire Today covered the Line of Duty Death of firefighter Greg Simmons on a fire at County Road 323 near Gorman Texas. The fatality occurred as 10 fire vehicles were attempting to escape from a vegetation fire and became bottle-necked at a gate. Mr. Simmons was found deceased in a roadside ditch along CR 323 with severe burns on his head and upper body. He was wearing bunker pants, fire-fighting boots, and a tee shirt. The coroner determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma from either being struck by or run over by a fire vehicle during fire-fighting operations in smoky conditions with very limited visibility.

The report that NIOSH released has more details, of course, and here are some excerpts. (Mr. Simmons had been working on Brush 621.)

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“…As the three fire fighters from Brush 82 and Brush 621 attempted to outrun the fire on foot on CR 323, they were able to jump into or onto Tanker 620. Due to the volume of vehicles attempting to escape the fire, the poor visibility due to the smoke, as well as a variety of tanker mechanical issues resulting from the intense heat, fire fighters were driving their tankers off the road, frequently colliding with each other, blocking each other in, and, as a result, many had to escape the fire by backing out (using the edge of the road as a guide as it was not possible to see the road). Tanker 7 did not escape on the road, but rather drove into a field east of CR 323. Tanker 7, operated by Chief 7, with two other fire fighters, was in the field of coastal grass on the east side of CR323 when the fire erupted. Chief 7 drove Tanker 7 east into the field approximately 100 yards and parked. The three fire fighters each deployed a hoseline to protect the apparatus and themselves. They operated in this mode for approximately 5–10 minutes until the fire passed them.
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lodd Texas

California inmate dies while training with CAL FIRE

On Wednesday an inmate that was training with CAL FIRE died. Our condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers.

Here is an excerpt from a news release by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation:

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

Inmate Firefighter Dies of Presumed Natural Causes

SAN LUIS OBISPO – A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) inmate firefighter assigned to Cuesta Fire Camp at the California Men’s Colony died of presumed natural causes Wednesday afternoon January 4 during a training exercise with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE).

The inmate, Crisanto Leo Lionell, 54, was participating in a training exercise at the California National Guard’s Camp San Luis when he lost consciousness. Emergency personnel transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 4:45 p.m.

(UPDATE July 13, 2017. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.)

Lionell was received by CDCR on February 10, 2010, to serve an 11-year sentence for transportation and possession for sale of controlled substances in Tulare County.

CDCR and CAL FIRE will conduct a review of the incident.

CDCR currently operates 44 adult and two Division of Juvenile Justice Conservation Camps in California. CDCR jointly manages 39 adult and juvenile camps with CAL FIRE and five adult camps with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Nearly 4,000 offenders participate in the Conservation Camp Program (CCP), which has approximately 200 fire crews.

Since 1946, the CCP has provided the State’s cooperative agencies with an able-bodied, trained workforce for fire suppression and other emergencies, such as floods and earthquakes.

Six Chilean firefighters killed in wildfire

UPDATE January 6, 2012:

The body of the seventh firefighter killed while trying to contain a blaze on the property of the Mininco Forestry company was recovered early Friday.

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Six firefighters working on a wildfire in Chile were killed on Thursday when they were entrapped and overrun by flames. Local governor Miguel Mellado was quoted as saying, “the fire suddenly surrounded them because of the wind, they drew closer together, one against another, and saw the fire pass above them”.

During the incident, the group of ten firefighters working for a forestry company were entrapped while they were suppressing the wildfire in a forest near Carahue in Araucania. Six of them were killed, two were badly burned and evacuated by helicopter, one escaped, and one is listed as missing.

Authorities suspect that since multiple fires started almost simultaneously in the regions of Biobio, Maule and Araucania, that the fires were ignited by arsonists.

Our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and coworkers of these firefighters.

fatality lodd

Followup on New Zealand firefighting helicopter crash – 2 fatalities

There is now confirmation that the crash of the firefighting helicopter in New Zealand that Wildfire Today covered yesterday resulted in two fatalities. Initially it was known that the helicopter crashed Wednesday night into the ocean off shore from a vegetation fire, but the official status of the pilot and passenger was “missing” until divers could access the wreckage in seven to ten meters of water a few hundred meters off shore.

Below is an update, courtesy of FirefighterCloseCalls.com:

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We regret to advise you that 2 Firefighers died this morning when a helicopter operating at a wildland fire that destroyed homes in New Zealand’s North Island. The helicopter went missing late last night off the Karikari Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island, and the wreckage was found early today. Rescue divers reached the wreckage and confirmed the two-man crew, a commercial helicopter pilot and a conservation department ranger, died in the crash. The helicopter was carrying out a reconnaissance flight over the fire when it crashed. The 2 Firefighters faced very heavy fire and smoke conditions. Pilot John de Ridder, along with Department of Conservation Ranger William Macrae, were sent to help evacuate trapped residents on the Karikari Peninsula. The Squirrel helicopter went down not far from the fire while making a reconnaissance flight over the fire which burned two homes in Matai Bay.

De Ridder, a seasoned pilot in these conditions, was a director for Salt Air, a charter company. Chief executive Grant Harnish said that de Ridder was one of the Far North’s most experienced and respected helicopter pilots. They were fighting the fire when he was requested by command to divert to pick civilians up from the beach and get them away from approaching fire and out of harm’s way. The pilot removed the monsoon bucket and then began the new task.

William Macrae, 54, was in the passenger seat when the helicopter crashed and was a long serving and highly respected ranger who has worked the job for 16 years. Macrae’s brother, also a DOC ranger, was busy operating at the fire when his brother crashed. His wife is the receptionist at the Kaitaia office. The fire, believed to have been deliberately set, started late Wednesday, forcing some residents in the remote area to wade into the ocean to escape the fire. Our sincere condolences to all affected.

fatality helicopter lodd

2 Pilots dead in separate wildfire aviation accidents in Spain

The International Association of Wildland Fire is reporting the deaths of two pilots in separate wildfire aviation accidents in Spain. One was a single engine air tanker that crashed on October 2, and the other was a mid-air collision of two helicopters on September 30. There was one fatality in each incident.

It has been a very bad year in Spain for wildfire aviation fatalities. Six firefighters died March 16 in the crash of a helicopter, and three died on September 19 in another helicopter accident.

Here is the information reported by the IAWF about the two most recent fatalities:

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INCIDENT #1

Name: Iñigo Zubiaga Padadogorriaga
Rank: Pilot
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Status: Contractor to the Airborne Firefighting Service of the Galician Regional Government ~~(INFOCAM)~~ (INFOGA)
Years of Service: Very experienced pilot and had flown the last four fire seasons in Galicia (Galice) Spain. He was a master of the Aeroclub of Biscay, and wrote a very popular manual for obtaining a private pilot’s license.
Date of Incident: 2 October 2011
Time of Incident: approximately 1715 hours local time
Date of Death: 2 October 2011
Company: Martínez Ridao Company
Fire Department: Airborne Firefighting Service of the Galician Regional Government (INFOCAM)
Incident Description: Pilot Zubiaga, was helping to extinguish a large fire in the Serra da Meda, Galicia near the town of Arcucelos (Laza). The plane he was piloting, an Air Tractor AT802, crashed for reasons still unknown but the pilot had time to radio his base that something was wrong with the aircraft. Nearby observers saw the “aircraft was on a strange maneuver before plunging to the ground.” Firefighters from Verín started an immediate search and when they found the aircraft the Zubiaga was not inside. He died of unknown causes and was found about 150 meters from the crashed aircraft in an area of rough terrain. His body was discovered about 1900 hours local time and was taken to the Hospital Complex of Ourense. An autopsy was to be performed to determine cause of death. The Regional Ministry of Rural Affairs announced an inquiry would take place concerning the incident.
Incident Location: Autonomous Community of Galicia, Ourense-Xunta de Galicia province, in Serrra da Meda, between Laza and Verín to 42.008999,-7.482033. Galicia (Galice) is in northwest Spain and is bordered by Portugal to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Bay of Biscay to the north.

INCIDENT #2

Name: Leo Jenssen (from Denmark)
Rank: Pilot
Age: unknown
Gender: Male
Status: Contractor to the Airborne Firefighting Service of Castilla La Mancha Regional Government (Incendios Forestales Castilla La Mancha, INFOCAM)
Years of Service: More than 10700 flight hours and eight fire seasons in Spain
Date of Incident: 30 September 2011
Time of Incident: 1340 hours local time
Date of Death: 30 September 2011
Company: Grupo INAER
Company Address: Oficinas Centrales (INAER Helicópteros), Aeródromo de Mutxamel, Partida La Almaina, 92, 03110 Mutxamel, Alicante, SPAIN
Fire Department: Airborne Firefighting Service of the Castilla La Mancha Regional Government (Incendios Forestales Castilla La Mancha, INFOCAM)
Helicopter Contractor: Grupo INAER
Incident Description: Two helicopter Bell B212’s touched and crashed during aerial maneuvering to refill with water at the Bienservida reservoir. Pilot Jennsen (flying helicopter MSN 30775, CC-CIS) was the only one of the two pilots who died during the incident. The other pilot, Manuel Fuertes, with 13 years’ experience, (flying helicopter EC-GIC), survived with minor injuries and burns but walked away from the crash and was taken to the hospital in Ciudad Real. Pilot Jennsen was unconscious and with a pulse when extracted from the water and CPR was administered. Pilot Jennsen was pronounced dead at the hospital and reportedly died from drowning. He was working for INAER, for the Castilla La Mancha fire agency. The fire reported at 1245 hours local time was extinguished at only 6 ha. The Accident Investigation Commission and Civil Aviation Incidents (CIAIAC) of the Ministry of Development is responsible for the investigation. The helicopter had last undergone and passed a review on 22 September. At this time the cause of the accident is unknown.
Incident Location: Area known as Los Castellares in the Alcaraz Sierra, Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete province, at the Bienservida reservoir, 38.519429,-2.61137. Spain.

43 Grupo air tanker fatality helicopter lodd

Report released for fatality on CR 337 fire in Texas

The Serious Accident Investigation Factual Report has been released for the July 7, 2011 fatality on the CR 337 fire in Texas. Caleb Hamm, a crewmember on the Bonneville Interagency Hotshot Crew, collapsed and died from hyperthemia, which is uncontrolled heating of the body’s core temperature. Hamm went into full cardiac arrest 31 minutes after he collapsed and arrived at the hospital 37 minutes after the full arrest.

Here are the findings from the report:

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FINDINGS

Findings are the conclusion of the investigation team based on the facts, weight of evidence, professional knowledge, and judgment. Findings are grouped by category: human, material, and environmental.

Finding 01: Environmental Factor

While working on the fire incident, Hamm lost consciousness and subsequently died. Signs and symptoms indicative of severe heat illness were not observed by co-workers or verbally communicated by Hamm. Autopsy report states the cause of death as hyperthermia.

Findings below did not directly impact the cause or outcome of this accident; however, they are significant enough to potentially result in improvements in the specified program areas.

Finding 02: Human Factor

Hamm was not severely dehydrated and his electrolytes were within the normal range.

Finding 03: Human Factor

The designated Division A “point of contact” (POC) did not have direct communication with accident scene personnel.

Finding 04: Human Factor

Cell phones were used to coordinate medical response per Incident Action Plan, resulting in others not being able to monitor critical communications.

Finding 05: Human Factor

The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates for key locations were not identified in the Incident Medical Plan (ICS-206) on the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the CR 337 fire.

Finding 06: Human Factor

The IAPs for the CR 337 fire for July 6 through July 8, 2011, and IAP Safety Analysis (ICS-215A) did not contain specific reference to extreme temperatures or hydration nor was it included in the IAP Safety Message.

Finding 07: Material Factor

Bonneville IHC was well prepared for a medical emergency with EMTs, backboard, trauma kit, and oxygen.

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UPDATE May 19, 2012

The Centers for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) has released their report on the fatality.
Thanks go out to Dick

fatality lodd

Firefighter line of duty death in Spain

Spain Review.net is reporting that a firefighter was entrapped on a wildland fire and killed on October 19:

A firefighter lost his life today while working to put out one of the many forest fires still raging in the north of Spain. The dead man was a member of the Castilla y León fire brigade and died after being surrounded by flames in a blaze in Molinaferrera (León).

Sixteen fires are still active in the province of Ourense, two of them razing huge areas – up to 1,800 hectares in Manzaneda and 1,000 in Lobios – as temperatures drop slightly, but still remain high for this time of year.

Our sincere condolences go out to the firefighter’s family and co-workers.

fatality lodd

3 die in firefighting helicopter crash in Spain

Three people were killed Monday September 19 when a helicopter crashed about 25 kilometers east of Granada in Spain. The Bell 412 helicopter was flying from its company’s base in Palma del Río, Córdoba province, to the Infoca fire fighting base in Alhama de Granada. It was due to temporarily replace another helicopter which is normally based there while it was being serviced.

The helicopter was operated by the FAASA company. Here is an excerpt from a February 23, 2010 article in Vertical magazine about the company:

FAASA Group Takes Delivery Of Four AW119Ke Helicopters

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 – AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica Company, is pleased to announce that FAASA Group of Spain has taken delivery of an additional four AW119Ke single engine helicopters for fire-fighting missions. The handover brings the number of AW119Kes in service with this operator to twenty units making FAASA Group one of the largest operators of this model in the world. Two of these aircrafts will be operated by Heliduero.

FAASA Group operates throughout Spain, particularly in the Castilla-La Mancha, Andalucia and Castilla y Leon regions. The operator provided a major contribution to the 2009 fire-fighting season in Spain deploying up to sixteen AW119 helicopters.

Our condolences to the families and coworkers.

Thanks go out to Chuck

fatality helicopter lodd

Wildfire contractor dies in plane crash

The Caldwell, Idaho owner of a private company with contracts to supply engines on wildfires was killed in a small plane crash Monday night, September 12. Jamie Sexton, 38, the owner of Blaze Runner, was a passenger in a Cessna 182 piloted by Jerry Reding, 55, of Nampa, that departed Salmon, Idaho at approximately 10:00 p.m. Monday night. They had just dropped off some firefighters assigned to the Salt fire in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, which is 16 miles southwest of Salmon.

According to the Idaho Press-Tribune, Angie Reding Thueson, Reding’s sister, the family received a text from Sexton before the men left Salmon, indicating that they experienced turbulence on the ride over and asking their family to pray for them on the way back.

The aircraft did not arrive at midnight at Caldwell as planned. Radar tracking indicated that it lost altitude and descended rapidly. According to the Idaho Transportation Department, around 11:30 p.m. a cabin owner near Stanley, who is a pilot, reported hearing what he described as a stalling aircraft engine. That reported location agreed with the last location recorded on radar.

Searchers found the wreckage of the plane at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday west of Stanley. Both of the occupants died on impact.

Our condolences go out to the families and coworkers.

fatality lodd

Texas firefighter killed on ATV

An Angelina County volunteer firefighter in Texas was killed Sunday when he was responding to the Ebenezer Complex of fires. Tony Quinten Meyers, 38, died when his ATV collided with a truck driven by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden.

According to the DPS accident report, Mr. Meyers was driving an ATV and disregarded a stop sign. He struck a Ford F150 truck driven by the Game Warden.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family and coworkers of Mr. Meyers.

fatality lodd