Flat Top Mountain Fire Rhabdo Case 2017

A firefighter from a local Volunteer Fire Department working on the Flat Top Mountain Fire suffered apparent heat exhaustion. The weather at the fire had temps over 100 degrees with relative humidity in the 40-50 percent range. When the ambulance arrived to transport the firefighter to the hospital, the Oklahoma Forestry Service’s Type 3 Incident Commander recalled a Rhabdomyolysis briefing his agency held while he was deployed in Arizona this June.

Before the ambulance left, this IC told the Paramedics to have the doctors check the firefighter for Rhabdo. Therefore, the Emergency Room doctors performed the Rhabdo test. It came back positive. The Emergency Room doctors informed that requesting this test potentially saved the firefighter’s life. The firefighter was expected to be released from the hospital the following day.

RLS, Extended Attack, Rhabdomyolysis, Health and Fitness, Medical Emergency, Medical or Exertion