Montana Engine Backing Incident 2019

On August 1st, 2019 at approximately 0915, a DNRC engine crew was responding to a smoke report located off an old logging road system. Weather conditions were clear with a temperature of 65 degrees and the road was dry and in decent shape. The crew decided to back up ~50 feet to flag the intersection in case additional resources were needed. The engine crew relied on mirrors and a backup camera and did not to use a spotter for the maneuver. While backing up, the driver was following the contour of road using his passenger side mirror, unaware of the sharp turn and steep slope of the road on the passenger side of the engine. This resulted with the engine backing off the road near the intersection. The engine crew notified the Unit AFMO and Missoula Dispatch of the situation and reported no injuries or major damage to the vehicle. A response was initiated by the AFMO with a towing company from town. The engine was successfully pulled out of the ditch with the aid of a tow truck and driven into town for an inspection.

Engines, Driving, Initial Attack, Vehicle Incident or Accident