Fire crews remember lost firefighters
WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) - Firefighters in north-central Washington took a moment of silence during a morning briefing to remember four firefighters who died July 10, 2001 in the Thirtymile Fire.
Crews are fighting three blazes in the area. The largest, the Navarre Fire, is 95 percent contained, and the Chelan Butte Fire is 75 percent contained.
The U.S. Forest Service says Incident Commander Tony Gilmer reminded firefighters Tuesday that safety is the top priority and encouraged crews to discuss lessons learned from Thirtymile.
The four firefighters died when an unattended campfire roared through a remote canyon, trapping them on a dead-end road. A Forest Service investigation later found that fire bosses had broken all 10 of the agency's standard safety rules and ignored numerous signs of danger on the fire line that day.
Crews are fighting three blazes in the area. The largest, the Navarre Fire, is 95 percent contained, and the Chelan Butte Fire is 75 percent contained.
The U.S. Forest Service says Incident Commander Tony Gilmer reminded firefighters Tuesday that safety is the top priority and encouraged crews to discuss lessons learned from Thirtymile.
The four firefighters died when an unattended campfire roared through a remote canyon, trapping them on a dead-end road. A Forest Service investigation later found that fire bosses had broken all 10 of the agency's standard safety rules and ignored numerous signs of danger on the fire line that day.
