Gold Pass Fire Snag Incident RLS 2012

After the area had been snagged by three sawyers, a firefighter was told to mop-up the top of the fire below the road. As he was working the top lateral, he was struck from behind by the top of a four-inch DBH snag (see photo). The snag hit his hardhat—knocking it off—and struck his left forearm. In pain and shaken, the firefighter walked to the top of the road under his own power. He reported the incident to the Incident Commander. He complained of a headache, pain in his left forearm, and feeling a little nauseated. The IC performed a patient assessment and radioed for the local Quick Response Unit to be dispatched. An ambulance was also dispatched. Upon arrival, the EMT evaluated the patient and asked if he wanted to be transported by ambulance to the hospital. He declined. The firefighter was driven back to the station. Later, he decided to go to the hospital—where it was determined that he had a mild concussion.