Dozer Cab Fire 2013

On August 7, 2013 at approximately 1600 hours, Dozer 3341 was assigned to the Silver Incident in the Riverside Unit. During line construction on Branch II, Division “P”, the Dozer Operator observed a portion of the fireline that required indirect line due to an inaccessible drainage. Once the Dozer Operator completed the indirect dozer line, the Dozer Operator began to move the dozer upslope toward a ridgeline when the dozer blade became centered over a large boulder. When the Dozer Operator began to back down the dozer line for a different travel route, the passenger compartment began to rapidly fill with smoke. The Dozer Operator exited the passenger compartment and was able to use the dozer’s fire extinguisher in an effort to suppress the fire. Additional fire extinguishers from Dozer 3140 and Dozer 3540 were used to help suppress the fire inside the passenger compartment of Dozer 3341.