It is with a heavy heart that I officially confirm what many of you may have heard – we lost one of our own Wednesday afternoon on the Lolo National Forest’s Lolo Peak Fire in Montana. Brent Witham, 29-years-old, of the Vista Grande Interagency Hotshot Crew, on the San Bernardino National Forest, California, died on the fire line after being struck by a tree.
My heart and thoughts go out to his family, crew and friends today, and I ask you to keep his family and friends in your thoughts as well.
I also extend my gratitude to many of you for your response to the incident, as well as your acts of kindness and expressions of support for the employees of the Pacific Southwest and Northern Regions as they come to terms with this tragic accident.
This loss comes at a time when we are experiencing a significant outbreak of wildfires in the West, as a result of high temperatures and lightning. We expect these outbreaks to continue over the coming weeks. Many other crews and supporting personnel will be deployed to respond. Safety must remain paramount as we confront this severe season.
Details from Wednesday’s accident continue to emerge; we will apprise you of the latest information when it becomes available.
As we reconcile ourselves with this loss and move forward together to respond to wildfires and complete mission work at home, please take the appropriate safety measures: Take care of yourselves and each other.
Chief Tidwell
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