Name: Thomas Marovich
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Status: Wildland Full Time
Years of Service: 2

Date of Incident: 07/21/2009
Time of Incident: approximately 1015 hrs PDT
Date of Death: 07/21/2009

Fire Department: USDA Forest Service, Modoc National Forest
Address: 800 West 12th Street, Alturas, California 96101
Supervisor:  USFS Forest Supervisor Stanley G. Sylva

Incident Description:  Firefighter Marovich incurred fatal injuries when falling while performing weekly routine rappel proficiency skill training involving a Bell 212 HP, at the Backbone Helibase in Willow Creek, Six Rivers National Forest west of Redding, California.  He was working with the Chester Helitack Crew from the Lassen National Forest that had been assigned to the Backbone Fire in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Firefighter Marovich was provided advance life support treatment immediately at the scene. The Base medical staff, the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office, and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the response.

The Forest Service has mobilized an accident investigation team and is working with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Incident Location:  Willow Creek

Our condolences go out to the family.

Additional information may be found at www.wildfiretoday.com .  A Safety Alert was issued earlier and was also posted on FireNet.

There have been ten previous US wildland fire fatalities in 2009.

    * John C. Meyer, firefighter/mechanic, 01/03/09
    * John W. Adams, firefighter, Oklahoma,02/02/2009
    * William Roger Vorwark, firefighter, Missouri, 03/14/2009
    * Roger Hershner, pilot, Kansas, 03/08/2009
    * Gregory Carroll Cooke, firefighter, North Carolina, 03/21/2009
    * Heath Van Handel, pilot, Wisconsin, 04/08/2009
    * Dennis M. Simmons, firefighter, Kansas, 04/21/2009
    * Tom Risk, pilot, 04/25/09
    * Brian Buss, airtanker crew member, 04/25/09
    * Mike Flynn, airtanker crew member, 04/25/09

 

These individual and annual US wildland fire fatality listings may not always compare to those provided by other organizations and are also subject to further review.