2020 wildland fireseason: reflections on firefighter and citizen deaths

There is no doubt that this has been a disastrous wildlandfire season in the United States, especially in the western part of the country. As I write this, over 8 million acres have burned. See the fire info page on the National Interagency Fire Center for current year to date acreage burned and year-to-date numbers for the last several years. In a week were the news of two critically injured Orange County Fire Fighters are fighting for their lives after a burnover incident on the Silverado Fire (see this October 28th article from the Orange County Register), I have found myself reflecting on the risks of firefighting. Firefighting is risky, whether it be structure firefighting or wildland firefighting. 

Here I am focusing on wildland firefighting, in the air and on the ground, as well as losses to civilians. This is not to minimize the sacrifices that structure firefighters make as they face injuries and death. But I write about wildland firefighting so my thoughts are always with the wildland firefighting community. As are all firefighters, they are trained in ways to be safe, e.g. getting to a safe black area and the last resort option of deploying fire shelters. They are also trained to be safe while working the fireline, staying clear of trees been felled by sawyers, staying clear of fire weakened trees and a host of other dangers that I am not covering. Even with all the training to be safe, things happen and they die anyway, even after deploying a fire shelter.

Then there are the auto accidents that can happen while working a fire. 

This has been a bad year for tanker and helicopter crashes, so lets not forgot the pilots who lose their lives flying fires to support the wildland firefighters on the ground.

Every year wildland firefighters die fighting wildfires. Every year. The deaths do not end with the wildland firefighters on the ground or in the air. Civilian deaths happen too, sometimes in their homes, sometimes while trying to flee a fire, or sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And lets not forget those firefighters and civilians who are injured as a result of wildfires, sometimes severely.

I do know that there have been a number of firefighter and civilian deaths this fire season in the United 
States. And if you expand to global deaths, the number will of course be larger. 

I wish I had a list of those who have died this year, but I do not. Nor do I have a list of those who have been injured from wildfires this year. Nevertheless, I write this article to say that I remember. I remember the sacrifices made by the fallen wildland firefighters and their families. I remember the sacrifices of firefighters who are injured. I remember the civilians who have died in or as a result of wildfires. I remember all equally. I want all who may be reading to know that I am paying attention and hold all in my prayers. 

Two organizations to check out if you so inclined. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation works with families of wildland firefighters killed in the line of duty and also works with injured firefighters and their families, see the WFF mission statement. The Associated Aerial Firefighters works with the families of aerial firefighters who have died in the line of duty.