Firefighters who died on the Job

Firefighters

Please add Firefighters who died on the job or as a result of injuries from fighting a fire or doing their job.

Firefighters put their lives on the line everyday doing everything from fighting grass fires, house fires, rubbish fires, car fires, anything that can catch on fire. They go to medical calls, any time ambulances are called and deal with everything from heart attacks to small injuries to car wrecks. Anything an ambulance would be called for they help out with.

Line of duty death is a death in the fire service while on duty at an emergency or drill. On average, there are more than 100 LODDs (Line of Duty Death) in the United States per year.

Statistics

• The leading cause of fatalities of firefighters is heart attack (44%), followed by trauma (27%), motor vehicle collisions (20-25%) asphyxia and burns (20%). Asphyxia and burns generally affect firefighters under 35 years of age more than stress or heart attacks, whereas the opposite is true for firefighters over 35 years of age.
• Full-time and career firefighters accounted for 33% of fatalities, but only 26% of the fire service.
• Where fire departments have EMS, calls related to this service may account for as much as 80% of call volume and as low as 50%. However, fatalities associated with these calls are very insignificant (3%).
• Volunteer firefighters account for 85% of en route fatalities.
• In the past decade, fatalities during training have risen to 6%.
• About 8% of fatalities occur at incidents with more than one LODD (Line of Duty Death).

From: National Fire Protection Association - Top 10 Deadliest Wildland Fire fighter Fatality Incidents - updated 6/17

Events:

1. The Devil’s Broom Wildland Fire, St Joe Valley, Idaho - 20 Aug 1910 - 78 firefighter deaths
2. The Griffith Park Fire Forest Fire, Las Angeles, California - 3 Oct 1933 - 29 firefighter deaths
3. Yarnell Hill Fire, Yarnell, Arizona - 30 June 2013 - 19 firefighter deaths
4. Rattlesnake Fire, Mendocino National Forest Fire, Willows, California - 6 July 1953 - 15 firefighter deaths
5. Blackwater Forest Fire, Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming - 21 Aug 1937 - 15 firefighter deaths
6. Wildland Fire, South Canyon, Glenwood Springs, Colorado - 6 July 1994 - 14 firefighter deaths
7. Mann Gulch Fire, Helena National Forest, Helena, Montana - 5 August 1949 - 13 firefighter deaths
8. The Loop Fire Disaster, Forest Fire, Los Angeles, California - 1 November 1966 - 12 firefighter deaths
9. Wildland Fire, Hauser Canyon Fire, Cleveland National Forest, California - 1 October 1943 - 11 firefighter deaths
10. Wildland Fire, Inaja Fire, Cleveland National Forest, California - 24 November 1956 - 11 firefighter deaths

Notable firefighters who died on the job:

• Brian William Collins (1964-1999)
• Richard Meizer (1926-1955)
• William Krejsa (1936-1988)
• Raynald Dion (c. 1955-1993)
• Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths in 2015
• Firefighter fatalities in the United States in 2015
• Canadian Fallen Firefighters - Description: 1900-2005
• KCFD Releases Names of Firefighters Who Died in Structure Fire
• Firehouse - 4 Wildland Firefighters Killed in Washington State. 10 Jul 2001

Links to Additional Reading:

• Why do Firefighters Die on the Job?
• Community bids ‘Job well done’ to fallen Firefighter
• An interview with a Firefighter
• Wikipedia - Line of Duty Death
• Heart attack Remains Leading Firefighter Line-Of-Duty Deaths
• USFA: 2013 on-duty firefighter deaths jump to 5-year high

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this project is in HistoryLink