Wildfire Today

News and opinion about wildland fire

Wildfire Today

Tag: rollover

Water tender rollover kills Ventura County fighter

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 3 Comments on Water tender rollover kills Ventura County fighter

The vehicle was en route to the Canyon Fire.

Above: Fatal water render rollover, September 21, 2016. Screenshot from KEYT video.

This morning the rollover of a water tender enroute to the Canyon Fire on Vandenberg Air Force Base resulted in the death of a firefighter. Ventura County Fire Department reported that Fire Engineer Ryan Osler, a passenger in the truck, lost his life in a line of duty vehicle accident while assigned to the fire. The driver of the truck self-extracted and was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The water tender had designations indicating that it was a California Office of Emergency Services apparatus. OES vehicles are often farmed out to local fire departments, such as Ventura County FD.

KYET reported the accident occurred at about 6:20 a.m. on state Route 246 at Purisima Road in Lompoc which is near the fire burning on the military base on the southern California coast.

Unfortunately rollovers of fire vehicles, especially water tenders, happen far too often.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family, coworkers, and friends of Engineer Osler.

ryan osler

Articles on Wildfire Today tagged “rollover”.

Memorial service for two BLM firefighters to be held July 19

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , ,

Memorial services have been scheduled for Bureau of Land Management wildland firefighters Jacob O’Malley and Will Hawkins who lost their lives July 10 in a single-vehicle accident July 10 on Nevada State Route 140. The services will take place at the Winnemucca Events Complex Exhibit Hall (map) from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, in Winnemucca, Nevada.

The BLM firefighters were returning from duty in the Denio area on their way back to Winnemucca when the accident occurred at about 5:20 p.m. Sunday evening. Jacob, 27, and Will, 22, were killed in the rollover accident. Their coworker, Zachery McElroy, 23, was flown to Renown Medical Center in Reno, where he was treated; he was released Tuesday afternoon. The BLM fire crew was returning from a routine patrol looking for lightning fires in the area when the accident occurred.

The two men both resided in Winnemucca, though Jacob was from Lake Tahoe’s Zephyr Cove and Will was from Reno. The families of Jacob and Will have established private family memorial services in the Lake Tahoe and Reno areas, respectively.

“Everyone is invited to attend the Winnemucca services on Tuesday to honor Jacob and Will – two brave, hardworking firefighters who were dearly loved by their families and coworkers,” said BLM Nevada State Director John Ruhs.

The BLM deployed a Serious Accident Investigation (SAI) team to determine the accident cause and other
information.

Winnemucca Events Complex (map)
1000 Fairgrounds Road
Winnemucca, NV 89445

Jacob O'Malley
Jacob O’Malley. Photo provided by BLM.
Will Hawkins
Will Hawkins. Photo provided by BLM.

Two firefighters in Nevada killed in traffic accident

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Two firefighters in Nevada killed in traffic accident

Two Bureau of Land Management firefighters have been killed and one was injured in a traffic accident in Nevada at about 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Below is a statement released by the BLM Monday morning:

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are sad to inform you of the loss of two BLM firefighters in an engine accident around 5 p.m. yesterday. A third firefighter sustained serious injuries. They had been patrolling near Denio following a lightning storm and were headed back to Winnemucca when they were involved in a single vehicle accident. Although first responders worked valiantly for a different outcome, two did not survive and the third was airlifted to a hospital in Reno. Our hearts and prayers go out to the engine crewmembers’ families, as well as our brother and sister firefighters in the BLM Nevada fire organization. We will post more information at the appropriate time.

map LODD

Our sincere condolences go out to the family and co-workers of the firefighters.

More wildland firefighters have died in vehicle accidents in the last 25 years than in entrapments.

Report released for rollover of BLM truck in Arizona

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Report released for rollover of BLM truck in Arizona

A BLM truck rolled over in northwest Arizona while assigned to the High Meadow Fire. 

BLM truck rollover Arizona

The Bureau of Land Management has released a report about the rollover of a utility vehicle, a Ford F-350 Crew Cab flatbed truck, that occurred August 13, 2015 in northwest Arizona about 26 miles southeast of St. George, Utah. The driver, an Administratively Determined (AD) employee, not a regular BLM employee, was hauling supplies back from the High Meadow Fire and sustained a minor injury.

The findings in the report included the following:

  • The vehicle’s data recorder indicated the truck was going 51 mph five seconds before the crash.
  • The speed limit was not posted on the road. After a week of investigation, it was found that the “legal speed on the road was 35 mph”.
  • The investigators found that multiple accidents had occurred within 20 yards of the rollover.
  • Due to the mechanism of the accident it was feared that the driver could have a serious injury and should be transported to a hospital. However it would have taken 2.5 hours for an ambulance to get to the scene. After two assessments by individuals with medical training, the employee was taken to a hospital in a government vehicle.
  • The document that authorizes a BLM employee to operate a government vehicle, BLM Form 1112-11, was missing in the person’s personnel folder.
  • The AD employee and most of the district staff personnel could not determine who the supervisor of record was for him or other AD employees during the fire incident. The report indicated that the person was “conducting logistical support” for the High Meadow Fire.
  • A Wilderness First Responder and EMTs were valuable in assessing the patient and getting him the appropriate care for an accident in a remote area.
  • The investigators recommended that all engine crews and fire modules have an EMT in place to help assess situations and get initial care started for accidents that occur in remote areas.

—Our commentary about the frequency of fire engine rollovers.
—Articles tagged Rollover.

CAL FIRE engine rolls over — three firefighters injured

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 8 Comments on CAL FIRE engine rolls over — three firefighters injured
CAL FIRE engine rollover
The CAL FIRE engine that rolled over August 13, 2015 near Browns Valley, CA. Photos credit: CAL FIRE.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has released a “Green Sheet”, a preliminary report on the rollover of one of their fire engines that occurred August 13, 2015 near Browns Valley, California about 50 miles north of Sacramento (map).

The accident involved two pieces of firefighting apparatus from CAL FIRE, but only the engine was damaged. Three firefighters received minor injuries.

The engine and a dozer transport truck were dispatched to the same fire. The dozer transport stopped on Marysville Road before turning left onto Bayberry Lane. With its turn signal on, it began to turn left but stopped again as the driver saw the engine approaching and attempting to pass. The driver of the engine swerved to avoid a collision and went off the shoulder of the road at approximately 45 to 50 mph. The engine then slid along the gravel shoulder for about 100 feet before rolling over and coming to rest 197 feet from where it left the pavement.

CAL FIRE engine rolloverOn September 5, 2015 near Napa another CAL FIRE engine rolled over, injuring two firefighters.

Related articles on Wildfire Today:

—Our commentary about the frequency of fire engine rollovers.
—Articles tagged Rollover.

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

CAL FIRE engine rolls over, two firefighters injured

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

From the Napa Valley Register in northern California:

Two Napa County firefighters were injured Saturday morning [September 5] when the engine in which they were riding swerved off Wooden Valley Road east of Napa and rolled down an embankment.

Cal Fire spokesman Joe Fletcher said the engine was en route to a reported motorcycle accident around 11:30 a.m. when dispatchers cancelled the call. As the engine was returning to its station, it rolled off the edge of the road and came to rest in a creek bed about 100 feet below the pavement.

One firefighter was able to extricate himself from the wreck; the other had to be helped out by other firefighters arriving at the scene, Fletcher said in a news release. Both were treated for minor injuries.