Jemez Springs Fire Hit by Tree Fatality 1946

Abenicio Toya, a 15-year-old firefighter with the Jemez Pueblo fire crew, was employed on a fire in the Jemez Springs area of the Santa Fe National Forest when he was struck by a falling tree and fatally injured. Toya was one of a group of 11 Jemez crew members resting under a tree at 0300 when it fell into the group, striking him. Julian Sandoval, another of the crew, observed the tree begin to fall and gave a warning, but was too late. The tree was determined to have burned out at its base and/or roots and become compromised, leading to its failure.