Sanborn Fire Heat Illness Fatality 1979

Samuel P. Morrison, a brand new firefighter with the California Department of Forestry (CDF, now CAL FIRE) was found deceased on his first wildland fire. Morrison was a new firefighter based at the Stevens Creek Fire Station on the Santa Clara Ranger Unit. At the time of his death, he had worked for CDF for six days and had received 16 hours of critical training. His engine was one of four that responded to the brush fire around 1500. Some reports indicate Morrison had shown signs at various times during the fire response of suffering from exhaustion, illness, or heat-related illness. He was last noticed replacing a broken hose at 1745. His absence was noted around 2200 when the crews took their first rest. A search that evening was unsuccessful, and Morrison's body was not found until 1000 on June 6. His cause of death was determined to be heat-related illness.

Morrison's engine captain, Franklyn C. Knapp-Smith, perished in a vehicle accident the following year in the Santa Theresa Hills: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/santa-teresa-hills-fire-fatality-1980