Remembering fallen wildfighters: 2018 thru June 30, 2019

As I was writing about the fallen firefighters of: Storm King Mountain, T-11, C-130 MAFFs, and the Granite Mountain Hotshots; I found myself thinking about the individuals who died in 2018 and the first half of 2019. Only one incident saw two deaths. So with this post I pause to remember those wildland firefighters. I got the information for this post from Always Remember. Links are provided for each fallen wildland firefighter to a page on Always Remember.

• Anthony Colacino, April 21, 2018 from the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation while on a training hike.
• Braden Varney, July 14, 2018. Joint CAL FIRE and U.S. Forest Service, heavy equipment operator for hire, Ferguson Fire in the Sierra National Forest.
• July 26, 2018 at the Carr Fire (CA): Don Ray Smith, CAL FIRE dozer operator, private dozer for hire; and Jeremy Stoke, fire inspector, Redding Fire Department.
• Andrew Brake, August 9, 2018 at the Carr Fire (CA) heavy equipment mechanic, firefighter, CAL FIRE.
• Matthew Burchett, August 13, 2018; One of five firefighters from the Draper City Utah Fire Department deployed to the Mendicino Complex (CA).
• Eric Christopher "Chris" Aarseth, September 4, 2018. firefighter II. Miller Timber Services, Inc. Chris was released from the Horns Mountain Fire near Northrop Washington on August 27th. He was found unresponsive at his home on August 28th and died on September 4th, possibly from an infection which became septic. As he may have been exposed while working the fire, his death has been tentatively categorized as a line of duty death. 
• Daniel Laird, March 27, 2019. A-Star 350 helicopter, Helitack Capitan from the Tahoe National Forest in California. The A-Star 350 helicopter Daniel was riding in crashed while doing aerial ignition for routine controlled burn at Sam Houston National Forest in Montgomery County, TX. 

Please pause for a moment and join me in remembering Anthony, Braden, Jeremy, Andrew, Matthew, Chris, and Daniel and the family, friends and colleagues they left behind. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten