DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/9/2008
INCIDENT TYPE: Information
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 44 West Riverside
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201
NARRATIVE: *** SFD Administration issues information from the NWCG concerning the 2008 Wildland Fire Season's safety statistics ***
"On July 7 this year, we reached the number of deaths in wildland fire operations for 2008 that we experienced during all of 2007. A total of nine wildland firefighters died in the line of duty in 2007 and nine have died so far this year. That's nine people who won't be going home to their families and friends after work any more. We need to keep these fallen heroes - and the ones lost in previous years -- in our hearts and minds as we continue our work in what promises to be a long, difficult fire season across the nation.
Causes of death for wildland firefighters in 2008 have included the following:
*vehicle accident (2 deaths when a burned bridge collapsed)
*aviation accidents (1 SEAT pilot; 1 firefighter in a midair collision)
*roadside accident (2 struck by a vehicle in heavy smoke)
*unknown, possible heart attack or aneurysm (2 deaths)
*drowning. (1 death while swimming on R&R)
Many more accidents have been experienced by wildland firefighters in 2008 that did not result in fatalities, but easily could have. Twenty-four firefighters were injured in four separate vehicle accidents; 19 firefighters became entrapped on seven different occasions, with many of those individuals suffering burn injuries; 10 firefighters were injured when lightning struck nearby in two separate incidents; three firefighters suffered burn injuries in separate events that were not entrapments; two dozer operators were injured in separate rollovers; a firefighter was hit by a snag. These are just some of the accidents reported in the NWCG Safety Gram; many other accidents and near misses have occurred both on the ground and in the air in 2008.
Entrapments are also worthy of special mention. The 19 firefighters who became entrapped this year were on fires in five different states. Only three of the 19 entrapped firefighters got their fire shelters out; many others were in vehicles when entrapped - specifically engines, dozers and tractor/plows. Many of these firefighters suffered burn injuries. During all of 2007, a total of 53 firefighters were entrapped, and we are on pace to reach or exceed that number in 2008. Many of the firefighters entrapped in 2007 and 2008 are still recovering from their burn injuries and some have left the fire service."
All firefighters operating in the Wildland want to survive this fire season without injury-so did all the people who have been injured or killed to date. SFD Administration in cooperation with Labor are committed to maintaining the Safety and Health of the Firefighters through education, rigorous training and safe work practices based on the SFD's Risk Management Plan and Standard Fire Orders/Watch Out Situations. The SFD has deployed numerous companies and single-resources to Washington State fires in the last few weeks. We currently have two Type-6 brush Engines and Strike Team Leader with eight personnel assigned to the Badger Mountain Fire near East Wenatchee.
PROBABLE CAUSE: N/A
DAMAGE EXTENT: N/A
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE:
MUTUAL AID: None Given
For more information on this release, please call (509)625-7002 and/or check out the SFD Blog at www.spokanefire.blogspot.com
END OF RELEASE
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