Body of Missing Wildland Firefighter Recovered from OR Forest

From The Register-Guard:

Lane County and U.S. Forest Service search crews have located and retrieved the body of Steven Dickerson, a 32-year-old Forest Service wildland firefighter, northeast of Oakridge in the Willamette National Forest.

There appears to be no indication of foul play in Dickerson’s death, officials said. Dickerson, of Oakridge, had left behind a note indicating that he was despondent, officials have said.

Dickerson was declared missing after failing to report to an out-of-state firefighting deployment on June 29. His body was found Sunday afternoon northeast of Grasshopper Mountain, officials said. Law enforcement personnel from four agencies, K9 tracking dogs and a helicopter participated in the search.

Read more HERE. As the story notes, donations in Dickerson's name are being accepted by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation.

Conviction in 2001 Death of Phoenix (AZ) Firefighter

Via azcentral.com:

A Maricopa County Superior Court jury on Monday found an Iraq war veteran guilty of negligent homicide in the 2001 death of a Phoenix firefighter.

The jury also found Christopher Benitez guilty of two counts of arson for lighting a fire that consumed a supermarket.

Firefighter Bret Tarver, who responded to the blaze, died of burns and smoke inhalation after becoming tangled in debris inside the burning market.

Benitez will be sentenced June 3.

Read more HERE. Read the complete fatality report on the incident HERE (PDF).

LODD: Texas Firefighter Elias Jaquez, Dead at 49

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has reported the death of Volunteer Firefighter Elias Jaquez, 49, of the Cactus Volunteer Fire Department of Cactus, Texas. Jaquez died as a result of serious burns on Wednesday, April 20, 2011.

The USFA notice states:

"Firefighter Jaquez, and three other firefighters were injured after a Dumas and Cactus, TX, fire truck became stuck in the rough terrain while operating on a wildland firefight. Jaquez suffered 3rd degree burns over 60% of his body and was rushed for treatment to the Lubbock Burn Center where he remained in critical condition until his passing."

The USFA notice continues to advise that funeral arrangements are pending and that a benefit fund has been established in honor of Firefighter Elias Jaquez at the Happy State Bank at https://www.happybank.com/.

A tribute is also being paid to Firefighter Elias Jaquez at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

The USFA reports that to date, 31 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2011.

Huge Midwest Storm Leaves Trail of Death and Destruction

From CNN:

A powerful storm system pushed its way into the Southeast early Friday after tearing across the Plains, killing at least five people in Oklahoma and Arkansas, authorities said.

Severe weather including tornadoes will be a possibility across northern Mississippi and Alabama and into central Tennessee on Friday afternoon.

The storm system will then press forward into Georgia and the Carolinas overnight Friday and into Saturday morning. The forecast from the National Weather Service says the primary threat there will be damaging thunderstorm winds, but there also will be the possibility of isolated tornadoes.

Read more HERE.

Brooklyn (NY) Fire Kills Dad, 2 Daughters

According to the New York Post:

A suspicious fire tore through a Brooklyn brownstone yesterday -- killing a father and two of his young daughters -- and sent at least one person jumping from a window to escape the flames.

The blaze broke out shortly before 5:30 p.m. on a stairwell between the second and third floors of the home on Putnam Avenue in Bushwick, and engulfed the rest of the structure.

A law-enforcement source said the fire was sparked by a child playing with matches.

Firefighters searching the top floor found the bodies of a 62-year-old man and his 14-year-old daughter.

His 3-year-old daughter was still alive, but later died at Woodhull Hospital.

Read more HERE.

Chemical Plant Fire in KY Kills 2

A fire and two explosions at a Louisville, KY chemical plant resulted in two deaths according to reports from WLKY in Kentucky:

"A second person died Tuesday after two explosions and a fire at a chemical plant Monday in Louisville's Rubbertown neighborhood. He has been identified as 56-year-old Jorge Medina. He resided on Jenlee Lane in Louisville...Fifty-nine-year-old Steven Nichols of Charlestown, Indiana died around 6:45 p.m. on March 21 at University Hospital, less than two hours after the first explosion ripped through the plant sometime after 5 p.m. No word yet on funeral arrangements for Nichols. Medina was one of three people who were taken to University Hospital, where he died from his injuries early Tuesday."

Read More HERE

St. Louis (MO) Firefighter's Widow Gets $40M

A report from Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Magazine> discusses a ruling that awarded $40M to a St. Louis (MO) firefighter's widow.

A jury in St. Louis awarded Angela Martin and her children $27 million in a judgment against the company that manufactured her husband's defective fire safety equipment...

Read the rest HERE.