COVID-19 was the leading cause of wildland firefighter deaths last year.
According to a new report, COVID-related fatalities accounted for 26% of deaths in the line of duty last year.
The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center’s 2021 Incident Review Summary shows 23 fatalities among wildland firefighters across the U.S. That’s eight more than in 2020 and the most since 2013.
COVID was responsible for six of what are known in firefighting parlance as “line of duty” deaths.
A review of the Center’s Incident Reviews Database reveals only brief U.S. Fire Administration summaries of four of those cases; three in California and one in Wyoming.
According to the report, the six COVID-related deaths were followed by four undefined “medical” fatalities, three automobile accidents, three aviation accidents and two falls. One firefighter was killed in an active shooting incident, another died after being hit by a tree, another by a vehicle. One person was killed in a smokejumping accident.
While the 10-page report does not extract specific lessons from the COVID fatalities, it does offer safety guidance based on several reports of non-fatal accidents.