Blue Ribbon Fire Fatalities 2011

The Blue Ribbon Fire was ignited by lightning on June 16, 2011, on private forest lands under fire protection of the Florida Division of Forestry. The fire was contained in initial attack that afternoon, and checked the three following days. On the afternoon of June 20, the fire escaped its control lines and was attacked again. A Type 3 tractor-plow became stuck on a stump in a dry pond during initial attack and called for the assistance of a second tractor-plow. While the two operators worked to get the equipment free, the rescue tractor-plow also became stuck. The wildfire approached and both operators left their equipment to escape on foot. Both operators, Joshua Burch and Brett Fulton, were overtaken by fire and perished. Two other firefighters also received burn injuries in their attempts to rescue the operators; both were treated and released. 

Entrapment, Fatality, Heavy Equipment, Entrapment