By Eder Campuzano
The Oregonian
BEND, Ore. — An Oregon man was critically wounded last week in Alabama, where he’s been assisting in the ongoing fight to control several wildfires that have flared up in the southeastern U.S.
Ray Rubio is a smokejumper for the Deschutes National Forest, a job that operates much like it sounds — specially trained firefighters parachute into wildfires to tame them from within.
He suffered “very serious head injuries and a broken kneecap” in an accident unrelated to his firefighting duties, according to a GoFundMe page set up to assist in medical expenses.
Rubio, a Redmond resident, has received CT scans every day since the accident. In the latest GoFundMe update, campaign organizer David Ortlund wrote that Rubio’s “head injuries are no longer swelling and have stabilized.”
“Ray is the guy who knows how to fix everything, and help everyone else with his or her problems, any time of day,” Ortlund wrote. “He is a real life McGyver.”
According to the campaign page, Rubio began smokejumping in 1995 in Redmond. The 52-year-old Army veteran grew up in Brawley, California, records confirm, where Ortlund writes that Rubio still has “countless family members and friends” keeping track of his condition.
He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division while enlisted. In his years as a smokejumper, Rubio has reportedly mentored fellow firefighters all across the continental U.S. and in Alaska.
The campaign had raised $26,403 toward its $30,000 goal as of 9:45 p.m. Thursday.
Copyright 2016 The Oregonian