Firefighter killed by falling tree in Kings Canyon National Park

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Firefighter killed by falling tree in Kings Canyon National Park

ASSOCIATED PRESS

8:05 p.m. October 3, 2004

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK

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Firefighters Coming To Rochester, N.H. To Mourn One Of Their Own

JASON HOWE
Courtesy of Foster's Daily Democrat

ROCHESTER

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National Park Service Grieves For Wildland Firefighter

National Park Service Press Release

Wildland firefighter Daniel Holmes, age 26, of Bellingham, Washington was killed yesterday when he was hit by a falling dead tree on the Grant West Prescribed Fire in Kings Canyon National Park. Daniel's family has been notified.

The accident occurred shortly after operations began at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 2. With four acres ignited, the top of a 100-foot white fir tree unexpectedly fell where firefighters were working, striking Holmes. Approximately 20 firefighters witnessed the accident and provided immediate medical assistance. Holmes was carried to a waiting ambulance by his fellow crewmembers, but passed away while being transported to a Lifeflight helicopter landing zone in the park. Daniel never regained consciousness after the accident and was pronounced dead by the Lifeflight medical crew.

A three-person accident investigation team has already arrived in the park. Teams like this one are routinely dispatched for the Department of the Interior following serious accidents. Over the next few days, they will complete a standard investigation, interviewing witnesses and gathering documentation.

"The National Park Service is heartbroken over this loss," said Superintendent Richard H. Martin. "My two priorities now are providing help for Daniel's family and supporting our park family here at Sequoia and Kings Canyon."

Holmes was a crewmember on the Arrowhead Hotshots, an elite firefighting crew that responds to large fires across the country. The National Park Service has two such crews: Arrowhead Hotshots at Kings Canyon and Alpine Hotshots at Rocky Mountain National Park.

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/printer.jsp?id=35544

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Brotherhood treats members like family

By JASON HOWE

Democrat Staff Writer

ROCHESTER

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A time to celebrate the life of someone with a purpose

The short life of Danny Holmes serves as a guidepost for us all

The dangers faced by the men and women in the front lines of public safety was brought home again Saturday with the loss of one of the Seacoast

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Holmes, Daniel Paul

Age: 26
Cause of Death: Struck By
Rank: Forestry Tech - Hotshot
Nature of Death: Trauma
Classification: Wildland Part-Time
Emergency Duty: Yes

Incident Date: 10/02/2004
Duty Type: On-Scene Fire
Incident Time: 12:46
Activity Type: Support
Death Date: 10/02/2004
Fixed Prop. Use: Outdoor Property

Fire Dept. Info:
National Park Service
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers , California 93271
Chief: Superintendent Richard H. Martin

Final Summary:
Forestry Technician Holmes was a member of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crew. He was working as a saw team member cutting dead trees in an unburned section of a prescribed burn in the Kings Canyon National Park.A dead tree near the perimeter of the controlled burn area was burning near its top, and falling embers from the tree threatened to spread the fire past the perimeter. Forestry Technician Holmes and the members of his saw team were assessing how best to drop the tree and prevent the spread of the fire.Firefighters watching the team and the tree noticed that a section of the tree was breaking free and starting to fall. These firefighters called to Forestry Technician Holmes and his team and told them of the danger. Forestry Technician Holmes reacted immediately but was only able to take a couple of steps before being struck by the falling tree.Other firefighters provided medical assistance to Forestry Technician Holmes, and an ambulance was used to transport him to a helicopter landing zone for evacuation. Forestry Technician Holmes went into cardiac arrest during the ambulance ride to the landing zone. After consulting with medical control, he was pronounced dead at the helicopter landing zone. The cause of death was due to head injuries.

Memorial Fund Info:
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (http://www.wffoundation.org/) where a fund has been set up in Dan's name.

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/ffmem/ffmem_detail.jsp?p_id=3069&noticeYearCutoff=&p_fd_state_code=&p_first_name=&p_fd_city=&p_last_name=&p_mn_status=0&p_death_year=2004

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Hundreds Attend Funeral Of Fallen California Firefighter

Updated: 10-08-2004 03:42:31 PM

JASON HOWE
Courtesy of Foster's Daily Democrat

His spirit of adventure and love of the outdoors were the "thread that sewed" his friends and family together.

It was appropriate, they said, that the sun shone brightly at his funeral procession Thursday morning, in which roughly 150 uniformed firefighters marched through downtown in his memory.

Daniel "Danny" Holmes, 26, was killed Saturday after being struck by the burning top of a 100-foot white fir tree that unexpectedly fell as his team conducted a controlled burn in Kings Canyon National Park in California.

Danny, as his mother, Dee Burke, and his family called him, was part of the Arrowhead Hotshots, a National Park Service elite forestry firefighting squad based at the park.

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=35693&sectionId=39