Nine Friends Are Missing Tonight; Presumed Dead

[Duckster]

If you haven’t been up on the news today:

Nine people were missing and presumed dead and four were hospitalized Wednesday after a helicopter carrying firefighters crashed the night before in northern California, aviation spokesmen said.

The Sikorsky S-61 helicopter entered a remote area to pick up firefighters battling wildfires, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration. The crash happened about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 35 miles northwest of Redding in the Trinity Alps Wilderness area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Two crew members and 11 firefighters were aboard, Gregor said. Three of the injured were contract firefighters, and the fourth was the pilot, said Sharon Heywood, the forest’s supervisor.

Source: 9 believed dead, 4 injured in firefighter helicopter crash - CNN.com

The latest official press release is available here. There should be more info tomorrow.

Here’s the kicker. I probably don’t know any of those injured or killed. But I know them because they are wildland firefighters. On top of this, they were probably contract firefighters, meaning college-age kids, who were probably being paid a wage not much more than minimum wage for a base salary. If any were veterans from previous summers on the fireline, perhaps a bonus but not much. Contract fire crews don’t make anywhere near what federal or state crews make, nor have the experience. (Adding insult to injury, if the news proves correct those who died were employed by the same contractor who lost five young fire fighters several years ago on a lonely Oregon highway as they were returning home from a fire.)

Fire fighting is a dangerous occupation. Ask any fire fighter in the station closest to your home. Now think of a wildland fire fighter. Often much younger and less experienced than the men and women in the station house who protect our homes.

Prior to this latest incident, something like seven or eight other wildland fire fatalities have already occurred in fires across America this fire season. For the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, they just had a fire fatality on their Forest on another fire about a week ago. The 72-hour report on his death doesn’t offer details. You really don’t want to know. He was only 18.

The media is obsessed with the images of the big flames and smoke plumes because they sell ad space on TV and in newspaper. Seldom does the big media do the back stories about what really happens to those on the line. Until something like this happens.

So when you watch the news, or when your home is threatened by wildland fire, just remember that many of the men and women on the fire lines are very often young, full of energy, not always experienced, doing something they want to do for the summer in one of the world’s most dangerous jobs.

Do not forget them.

[wevets]

You’re very right. This is an extremely sad story. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen wildland firefighters headed off in trucks to do an almost impossible job in the heat of the height of summer. I’ve also known a couple guys who worked on fire crews - they don’t get nearly enough thanks for all they do.

Stay safe out there, everyone.

[Celyn]

That is horribly sad. Utterly terrible for the firefighters and for their families.

[picunurse]

The boy killed in the Shasta-Trinity fire was from a small town hwe in western Washington. They had his memorial service yesterday.

A veteran FF, actually a chief, from the Tacoma area died the day after a few miles north of Shasta-Trinity.

My husband is an urban FF/EMT now, but he started his carreer at age 17 in Central California. He went from hot shot crew to helitac. He finally quit at age 24. He saw several people hurt or killed. He still has nightmares.

I cry whenever I hear about a FF death.