The 25-year-old firefighter who survived a deadly blaze last month near Twisp, Okanogan County, faces a future that will require every bit of the grit he showed on the ground, his doctor said Tuesday.
Daniel Lyon has endured three surgeries so far to repair the burns that cover more than 60 percent of his body. But he’ll need additional operations, skin grafts, physical therapy and — importantly — pain management as he continues to heal.
“What his job was is to don his gear and go,” said Dr. Tam N. Pham, the Harborview Medical Center burn expert who is leading Lyon’s care. “To have that kind of valor and selflessness … I think firefighters are special individuals and we’re going to lean on that heavily, if we can.”
Pham joined Lyon’s parents, Daniel and Barbara Lyon, of Puyallup, at a news conference to offer new information about the condition of the first-year firefighter, reserve police officer and avid motorcyclist, hiker and skier.
Lyon was hurt Aug. 19 when he and three other firefighters were driving up a steep gravel road and crashed down a 40-foot embankment, where they were overtaken by fire, a coroner’s report said.
Killed in the incident were Richard Wheeler, 31; Andrew Zajac, 26; and Tom Zbyszewski, 20; who died of smoke inhalation and burns.
They’re among 59 line-of-duty deaths this year among firefighters, according to a website that monitors deaths and injuries. Sixty-four U.S. firefighters died in 2014, according to the National Fire Protection Association, which also estimates that 65,880 firefighter injuries occur in the line of duty each year, with nearly 30,000 in wildfire operations.
Lyon, who is heavily medicated, can respond to family members, but he doesn’t know about the accident — or the deaths, said his father.