A firefighter suffered a head injury after being struck by a tool while fighting the Green Fire, leading to signs of a concussion and a complex rescue operation on July 13. Now, firefighters and medical staff are learning from it to avoid such accidents in the future or better respond to them.
On the day of the incident, firefighters were responding to the Green Fire, by hiking along Ripgut Ridge. The mile long hike was strenuous with an elevation gain of 1250 feet in 100 degree temps and low humidity During this smoke-filled and strenuous day of hiking on Division Mike, a firefighter was sitting down, wiping sweat from her brow, adjusting her gear and taking a quick break. A tool propped up against a tree, with the working end up, was accidentally knocked over.
This tool ended up falling approximately one foot, hitting the firefighter with a glancing blow to her unprotected head. This all happened on steep terrain, which made the extraction process even more complicated. Engine crews at the scene quickly treated the injured firefighter and used a device known as a MegaMover or Carry All to begin their descent toward a designated area, M-1, for a planned helicopter evacuation. However, the helicopter mission was canceled due to smoke impacts and poor visibility.
A Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) team was deployed. They hiked up to the patient and strategically positioned members in steep areas to establish rope systems as a backup plan. After reaching M-1, the REMS team, with the help of the original rescue crew, transported the firefighter using a SKED to a pre-established rope system.
