File Code: 6730
Date: May 12, 2005
Route To:
Subject: Expanded (72 Hour) Briefing, Chippewa National Forest - May 5, 2005
To: Randy Moore, Skip Starkey, Patti Hirami, and Michael Anderson

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Injured employee: Burn Boss

Preliminary Factual Findings:

1. Employee scouting spot fire in flashy fuels (Fuel Model 3) on prescribed burn allowed his escape route to be compromised.

Narrative: Employee was trying to assess the fuels in front of an advancing spot fire by walking out its western flank. The fire began advancing toward him on the flank and he was not able to return to his safety zone in the Mississippi River. He began moving away from the fire but felt that he would be over taken by the advancing flame front and made the decision to go back through a section of lower flames to get into the black. He received first degree and some limited second degree burns to has cheeks, ear, nose, and hands. Employee had taken off gloves to work on a hose fitting five minutes earlier and did not have them available when he moved through the flames which added to the extent of burns.

The Investigative Team determined after reviewing the fire scene and interviewing employees on the prescribed burn that the situation met the definition of an entrapment. The Team filled out and faxed the Wildand Fire Fatality and Entrapment Initial Report to the National Interagency Fire Center at 1700 CST on May 12, 2005.

Team is expected to complete information gathering phase of their investigation by May 14, 2005. Factual Report and Management Evaluation Report are to be completed by June 25, 2005.



/s/ Thomas G. Wagner
THOMAS G. WAGNER
Team Leader