Butler II Fire 2007

On October 1, 2007, a Crew Carrier with eight Forest employees from the Heaps Peak Helitack were involved in a single-vehicle rollover. The crew was in route to a mop-up assignment on the Butler II Fire near Big Bear Lake on the Mountaintop Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest. The vehicle rolled several times down a 100 percent slope, coming to rest 235 feet below the highway--stopped by heavy timber. All employees were wearing seatbelts. Seven escaped with little or no injuries; one sustained moderate injuries to his shoulder. Two employees were kept in the hospital overnight for observation. The crew compartment, although it sustained damage, was structurally sound and protected the crew from more serious injuries.

Driving, Vehicle Incident or Accident