Cramer Fire Entrapment Fatalities 2003

The Cramer Fire was first reported by a Salmon-Challis National Forest fire lookout on Sunday afternoon, July 20, 2003. On the morning of Tuesday, July 22, two helicopter rappelers from the Indianola heli-rappel crew, Jeff Allen and Shane Heath, rappelled onto a ridgeline above the fire to cut a helispot. By midafternoon the handcrews that had been flown into the fire were pulled off the fireline due to increased fire intensity.  Shortly thereafter, the rappelers called for a helicopter to pick them up, saying that it was becoming very smoky. A helicopter was launched to retrieve the two rappelers but was unable to land due to extremely poor visibility. Jeff Allen and Shane Heath were overrun by fire and found deceased later that day.

For the Cramer Fire Case Study video (NWCG), click here. 

To watch the Cramer Fire Staff Ride video, click here.

Helicopters, Aviation, Fire Behavior, Extended Attack, Fatality, Entrapment