Labor Fire Hit by Tree Fatality 2001

At approximately 1:00 a.m., Firefighter David Rendek and other wildland firefighters were organized as a crew and sent to size up a lightning-caused wildland fire near Sula, Montana on the Bitterroot National Forest. When they arrived, they found that it was too dangerous to fight the fire in the dark due to steep terrain and a large amount of dead wood. The decision was made to wait until morning to fight the fire. The crew spent the night laying hose and cold trailing hot spots outside of the main fire area. The next morning, Firefighter Rendek was cutting down dangerous trees (falling snags) with a chainsaw. Firefighter Rendek said that he only needed a few more minutes to work and then he was going to rest. As he walked downhill to his work area, a pine tree with a diameter of 11 inches fell and struck Firefighter Rendek on the head and shoulders. When other firefighters reached Firefighter Rendek, he was not breathing and a pulse could not be found. CPR was initiated and then stopped when Firefighter Rendek began to breathe on his own. Firefighter Rendek’s condition deteriorated and CPR was reinitiated. Firefighter Rendek was removed from the remote area where he was injured via a pickup truck and an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV). CPR was in-progress until Firefighter Rendek was placed on a medical helicopter approximately one hour and 45 minutes later. Firefighter Rendek died in flight. The cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries to the head.

Fatality, Medevac, Hit by Tree