August 14, 2012

Another loss of life in the WFF community

I'm so sad to hear of these things.  This WFF job is a dangerous job, and I'm thankful for the men & women who put their lives on the line to fight these fast moving wildfires!! 

For wildland firefighter Anne Veseth, the danger came not from out-of-control flames, but from above: She was struck by a falling tree on Sunday, ending her life at just 20 years.
Exactly what happened is now the subject of a federal investigation.
When Veseth died, she and other members of her 20-person crew were trying to extinguish the 43-acre Steep Corner fire near Orofino. They were establishing and reinforcing a fire line on one perimeter of the blaze, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Phil Sammon said.
"It's a harsh reminder that this is dangerous stuff, and the qualification and safety and training we commit to is paramount," said Sammon, who is based in Missoula, Mont.
At least two federal investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on the scene in Orofino, looking into Sunday's accident.

http://www.kval.com/news/local/Tree-kills-US-Forest-Service-firefighter-in-Idaho-165981926.html?m=y&smobile=y

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