Austin Fire Hit by Tree Fatality 2026

On the afternoon of 9/9/26, a member of a contract Falling Module assigned to the Austin fire was critically injured while conducting hazard tree mitigation. The sawyer was cutting a snag, when the top portion broke off, fell back toward him and struck him in the head and back.
Adjacent fire fighters and emergency medical resources assigned to the Austin fire responded quickly to provide advanced life support care on scene and facilitate the medivac transport to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, OR. Unfortunately, the injured sawyer did not survive his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.