Falls Fire Burn Injury 2013

The Division Supervisor was scouting ahead of the line at 1130. After coordinating some aerial retardant drops, the division supervisor moved out of the drop zone into the black to avoid a retardant drop. He walked through several ash pits across a moonscape where vegetation had burned down to the roots. He felt he had a case of "hot boot" but was focused on operations. Around 2300 he hiked three miles back to his engine. Upon arrival he realized his feet were really hurting “worse than ever before” and after he took his boots off the swelling was immediate and his boots could not be put back on. He was evaluated at the hospital and referred to a local burn center. The following day the burn center concurred that no further treatment was needed. While he suffered 2nd degree burns he did not have deep tissue damage.