By Sally Krutzig
The Idaho Statesman
BOISE, Idaho — The Boise firefighter injured while battling an Idaho wildfire in 2024 has spent nearly every day since in a hospital. But recovery is now in sight, according to the family.
Justin “Riley” Shaw, a 26-year-old assistant crew foreman, was struck by a falling tree on Aug. 10 while working on the Coffee Can Saddle Fire that began in the Salmon River Ranger District in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
Forest Service Supervisor Molly Ryan said the “quick actions” of other firefighters, dispatch and local first responders helped ensure that Shaw received quick medical attention. He was flown by helicopter to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston before being taken in critical condition to Sacred Heart Medical Center’s intensive care unit in Spokane, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
On Wednesday, his family and the Forest Service provided the first significant update on his condition since last summer.
Parents Joe and Dawn Shaw said their son spent much of the past nine months at Craig Hospital, a rehabilitation-focused medical facility in Englewood, Colorado. He is now medically stable after sustaining a traumatic brain injury, broken bones and undergoing three cranioplasties due to infection or other complications, according to his family.
“Justin has spent 230 days at Craig Hospital,” the firefighter’s parents said in a statement. “He has made significant gains in his recovery. When he arrived, he could not speak, eat, stand or even sit without support.”
Shaw has progressed to being able to feed and dress himself, and has been working to gain “clarity and strength of speech,” and is getting closer every day to walking on his own, his parents said.
“He has pushed himself each day to improve and continues to strive for independence,” Joe and Dawn said. “Craig is an amazing place. It has state-of-the-art equipment but more importantly kind, knowledgeable therapists and medical staff that really care about each patient, and want them to reach their full potential.”
The family said Shaw is now headed to QLI, a renowned rehabilitation center in Omaha, Nebraska, where he will do a three-month stint for treatment of his neurological injuries. They hope he can then transition to outpatient therapy.
“Justin will be doing his rehab in real-life situations preparing him for future work and recreation that is specific to his needs and interests,” his parents said. “... This journey is long and difficult, but Justin has been working extremely hard with the support of his family and friends.”
His family thanked the Forest Service, other fire associations and donors who helped get him the necessary treatment. A GoFundMe created after his accident raised more than $113,000.
The Forest Service provided an email and physical address on its website for those who wish to send a card or note.
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