Fighting fires by its very nature has risks. What may surprise most people, though, is that one of the biggest dangers facing wildland firefighters is not on the fireline but in lanes of traffic. The recent death in California of a U.S. Forest Service firefighter, killed yesterday in a vehicle accident while returning from a fire in the Sierra National Forest, underscores the risks of being behind the wheel.
A century of studying fires that resulted in injuries or deaths has led to better equipment, tactics and training, making firefighting safer. Nowadays, motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of serious on-the-job injuries and death among firefighter personnel.
Oregon has the worst death rate for fatal motor vehicle crashes on the West Coast, according to 2015 data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Oregon experienced 1.24 deaths for every 100 million miles traveled, compared to less than one death each for California and Washington State.
Brendon Fisher, ODF Safety Manager based in Salem, says single-vehicle crashes in rural areas are not untypical for Oregon.
“According to the data, 62 percent of fatal crashes in Oregon involved only one vehicle,” said Fisher.
“Fatal crashes are also twice as likely to occur in rural areas in Oregon as in cities.”
Seventy percent of fatal crashes in Oregon in 2015 were on rural roads. Those are the same roads ODF personnel travel to get to and from wildfires,” Fisher pointed out.
Fisher said one factor increasing the risk of responders experiencing a crash is fatigue.
“Responding to a fire often brings a surge of adrenalin that temporarily boosts our awareness and energy,” said Fisher. “That wears off, though. After long, physically demanding hours on a fire, people can be more tired than they realize.”
“Long, uninterrupted stretches of driving can dull our attention and alertness,” Fisher pointed out.
Taking frequent breaks on long drives can help restore alertness temporarily.
“Get out, stretch and move around,” advised Fisher. “It might save your life.”