Firefighter crushed by falling tree during water drop on raging Utah wildfire
The firefighter, and Marine veteran, is part of a specialized hotshot crew that hikes into the fire to perform dangerous fire mitigation jobs. He was injured battling Utah's Little Twist Fire -- the largest fire in Utah so far this year.
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FISHLAKE NATIONAL FOREST, Utah – Several surgeries later, one firefighter is recovering after being crushed by a tree while battling Utah's largest wildfire so far this year.
Daniel Burns is part of a specialized firefighting hand crew called the Bonneville Hotshots. Hotshots are teams of highly trained firefighters that hike into fires to "perform some of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in wildland fighting," states the U.S. Forest Service. Their only tools are the ones they carry.
On Sunday, he was battling Utah's Little Twist Fire when a helicopter made a water drop, according to local media. The water knocked down a 16-inch diameter tree, which crushed Burns. He was flown by a medical helicopter to the hospital.
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Image 1 of 5A helicopter making a water drop on the Little Twist Fire. (Central Utah Fire Interagency)
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Image 2 of 5A helicopter making a water drop on the Little Twist Fire. (Central Utah Fire Interagency)
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Image 3 of 5A plane making a retardant drop on the Little Twist Fire. (Central Utah Fire Interagency)
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Image 4 of 5The Little twist Fire. (Central Utah Fire Interagency)
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Image 5 of 5The Little twist Fire. (Central Utah Fire Interagency)
"While the prognosis is good and Burns will survive, he is dealing with severe fractures in the bones of the shoulder socket and the facial region, as well as numerous lacerations and probable concussion," Burns' Squad Leader Evan Hill wrote on social media. "While we don’t fully know yet what recovery will look like for Dan, he has already received multiple surgeries and has a long road ahead of him."
Hill wrote that Burns was "grievously injured" and made a plea for donations to cover his recovery and lost wages.
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Burns is a Marine Corps veteran and this was his first year with the hotshots.
"The BLM and United States Forest Service (USFS) would like to thank the quick actions of first responders and all the medical personnel that provide medical care," the BLM said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with our teammate on his road to healing."
The incident is under investigation.
The Little Twist Fire.
(Central Utah Fire Interagency / FOX Weather)
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Little Twist fire was only 15% contained and has burned 2,417 acres across steep rugged terrain in remote areas, according to the Central Utah Fire Interagency. Currently, 290 firefighters are on the fire lines.
The fire sparked from an out-of-control prescribed burn in the National Forest. Utah Fire warns that smoke will continue to be visible for weeks.