Point Fire, 1995
&
Island Fork Fire, 1999
dedication

Point Fire Case Study

• Instructor Guide
• Student Handout

Point Fire Accident Investigation

A. Point Fire Overview

• Overview
• Red Flag Warning
• Rescue Attempts

B. Investigation

• Investigation Process
• Findings
• Causal Factors
• Entrapment Investigation Element Matrix and Entrapment Investigation
• Ten Standard Orders, 18 Situations that Shout "Watch Out"

C. Recommendations

D. Supporting Data

• Sequence of Events
• Organization Charts
• Site Investigation
• Fire Behavior Report
• Property Damage Report
• Witness Statements
• Outline of Kuna Wildland Training Provided by BLM

E. Records and Reports

• Preplanned Dispatch
• BLM Radio Transmission Log
• Ada County Dispatch Log
• Fire Incident Status Summary
• Escaped Fire Situation Analysis
• Wildland Fire Entrapment Report
• Technical Analysis of Personal Protective Equipment
• Vehicle Inspection
• Weather Reports

F. Glossary

      ——————

Island Fork Fire Accident Investigation

• Cover & Dedication
• Executive Summary
• Maps & Introduction
• Sequence of Events
• Findings
• Causal Factors
• Recommendations
• Appendices

  ——————

Island Fork Fire, NIOSH Report

Point Fire — U.S. District Court Civil Case

Ruling on I.C.'s Decisions - Nov. 10, 1998
 • Factual Background
 • Legal Analysis

Ruling on BLM Liability - Feb. 19, 1999
 • Findings of Fact
 • Legal Standards
 • Analysis

Ruling on Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB)

      ——————

Surviving Fire Entrapments

      ——————

Colorado Firecamp extends special thanks to Linda Perkins, BLM Idaho State FOIA Coordinator, for her friendly assistance in gathering the Point Fire documents. BLM FOIA Letter

POINT FIRE
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

Point Fire Overview (continued)

Date of Incident: July 28, 1995
Time of Incident: 1829 MDT
Incident Name: Point Fire
Legal Description of Location: T1N R1W Section 35 SE1/4 NW

Rescue Attempts

Rescue efforts were hampered by the duration and intensity of the fire, caused by the heavy sage-brush fuel.

Winds gusting to over 40 miles an hour caused the Point Fire to blow up, leading to the entrapment of the two firefighters. (Note: This Point Fire picture was released by BLM in response to a FOIA request. It is similar but not identical to the picture in the original investigation report.)

After the flame front passed, several rescue attempts were made by members of Kuna RFD and BLM crews. The residual heat from the sagebrush made the first few attempts to reach the engine impossible. At 2121, Kuna RFD Engine 622 was able to approach the vehicle. Engine 620 was still on fire. Kuna RFD Engine 622 extinguished the flames and gained access to the vehicle. Kuna Command was notified that two fatalities had occurred.

Most fatalities that occur on wildfires are not the result of a single mistake or circumstance. Rather, they occur as a chain of unfortunate occurrences. Such is the case in the deaths of [————] [————] and [————] [————]. Taken individually, the three primary events that led to the accident were all probably survivable, and perhaps, not even remarkable. But when the decision to leave the burned area and drive into heavy, unburned fuels was grouped with Kuna RFD Engine 620 stalling and the advent of 40 to 50 mile-an-hour winds from the thunderstorm, it proved to be a fatal combination of events.

Point Fire scene. Fire started in the lower portion. Swan Falls Road (asphalt) to right of initial fire area.