Lewiston Tribune
BAKER CITY, Ore. — A veteran firefighter injured while working on the Freezeout Ridge Fire in Hells Canyon is in stable condition at a Boise hospital intensive care unit.
Firefighter Richard (Wally) Ochoa Jr., 51, suffered a fractured skull, two broken arms, a broken jaw and a broken thumb, as well as numerous lacerations after being hit by a snag, according to a news release from the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. He was cutting brush to make a fire line at the time of the accident Sunday evening. He did not suffer a spinal injury, according to the Forest Service.
Ochoa is a member of the Winema Interagency Hotshot Crew based on the Fremont-Winema National Forest in south central Oregon. Members of the hotshot crew, an elite firefighting team, began first aid immediately following the accident. Other crew members cleared a landing spot for a helicopter that took Ochoa to an unnamed hospital in Boise.
The accident occurred on the northeast portion of the fire in the Dog Creek drainage, which is on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. The fire is being managed by the Wallowa-Whitman Forest, which oversees management of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.
John Kidd, incident commander for the Freezeout Ridge Fire, credited the hotshot team and others for helping to stabilize Ochoa and prepare for his evacuation.
“I, along with the members of my staff, am grateful for those who assisted Mr. Ochoa by providing timely and appropriate care,” he said. “The coordination and professional actions of our firefighters, both on the ground and flying overhead, very likely reduced the potential magnitude of his injuries.”
A team of specialists was dispatched to the fire to assist members of the hotshot team as they deal with the effects of the injury to their friend and co-worker.
“Firefighter safety and well-being is priority No. 1,” said Tom Montoya, Wallowa-Whitman deputy forest supervisor.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Wally Ochoa and his family throughout his recovery. We will continue to provide support to Wally’s family, as well as to all employees affected,” said Connie Cummins, supervisor of the Fremont-Winema forest.
Two years ago, 20-year-old firefighter Anne Veseth of Moscow was killed when she was struck by a snag while fighting the Steep Corner Fire on the Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest and private land. Following an investigation of that accident, the Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association was cited and fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The U.S. Forest Service was cited but not fined.
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