Black Cove Fire Hit by Tree 2025

A North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) Pickup Firefighter, while assigned to the Black Cove Fire in Polk County, was struck by a falling snag. The Firefighter was working in conjunction with a crawler tractor and hand crew installing indirect containment line down a ridgeline on Division F, off Puzzle Gully Road. The timber growing along the ridgeline was a mix of pine and hardwood with an average 10–12-inch diameter at breast height (dbh) and 25-35 feet tall. A relatively low concentration of scattered standing and fallen dead snags were observed throughout the area. The pad of the crawler tractor installing the bladed containment line came in contact with the base of the standing dead snag. This contact disturbed the root system and subsequently caused the snag to fall and strike the firefighter from behind, pinning both legs to the ground and resulting in serious injury. The crew module working in the area was the first on-scene, removed the tree from the firefighter’s legs and initiated the Incident Within an Incident (IWI) Protocol. Within minutes the adjoining Division Supervisor (DIVS) and other firefighters arrived to aid with communication and provide basic medical attention. The North Carolina Helicopter Aquatics Rescue Team (NCHART) hoist helicopter (NC Air National Guard) was activated for extraction due to the nature of injury and physical location. The firefighter was transferred to an air ambulance and transported to the closest trauma center for advanced medical care.