Drop Torch Leg Burn Injury 2013

During a spring prescribed burn, the Burn Boss was notified that there was a medical incident. The Burn Boss walked over to find the EMT, treating an igniter for a burn to the back of his calf. The igniter was walking over numerous logs on the ground and he fell. His leg got caught in the logs and as he fell the drip torch came out of his hand spilling fuel on the back of his calf which caught on fire. The EMT drove the injured employee to the local hospital ER, since the patient was in stable condition there was no “medical emergency” declared on the radio. Once the EMT got within cell phone coverage, he alerted Dispatch about the incident and asked to notify the District Ranger. Once at the ER, the injured employee was treated for 2nd degree burn and released.