Ferguson Fire Tree Strike Fatality 2018

The Ferguson Fire was reported late July 13. The Arrowhead Hotshots arrived on scene July 16. By July 28, the day before the accident, the Ferguson Fire had grown to 53,657 acres and was burning across multiple jurisdictional boundaries. Arrowhead Captain Brian Hughes was working along the edge of a spot fire on steep, rocky terrain in Division G and identified several hazard snags—dead trees that posed falling and fire risks. On July 29, Hughes and another sawyer were falling a large hazard tree when he was struck by the falling tree. Efforts to save Hughes’ life were made on scene by the sawyer, fellow firefighters, and paramedics on the ground and in the air. Despite these efforts, Hughes was pronounced dead as he was being flown to the Mariposa Helibase.

Fatality, Hand Crews, Medical Emergency, Falling Operation