Independent reporter John Dougherty of Investigative Media continues to examine what led to the deaths of 19 Prescott firefighters in the Yarnell Hill Fire:
Eric Marsh, the superintendent of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew, violated wildfire safety protocols when he and 18 of his firefighters were killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, Jerry Payne, the Arizona State Forestry Division deputy director, said Monday.
Marsh, 43, was given wide latitude to make tactical decisions in the field without first seeking permission from a superior because was operating as a “division supervisor” for several crews fighting the fire while remaining in the field with the Granite Mountain Hotshots, Payne said.
“He (Marsh) was the boss. He was the assigned division supervisor,” Payne said.
Payne said that once Marsh became a division supervisor, he delegated command of the hot shot crew to his captain, Jesse Steed. But Marsh remained with the crew, Payne said.Payne said it appears that Marsh violated several basic wildfire rules including not knowing the location of the fire, not having a spotter observing the fire and leading his crew through thick, unburned vegetation near a wildfire.
“The division supervisor broke those rules and put those people at risk,” Payne said.
Payne released Marsh’s name in response to a public records request filed by InvestigativeMedia seeking the names of all division supervisors, operations chiefs and incident commanders during the Yarnell Hill Fire. Payne said there was “some sensitivity” to releasing Marsh’s name as one of the division supervisors.
Read the entire story, as well as Dougherty’s earlier dispatches, here.
This article appears in Jul 25-31, 2013.
Thank you Mr. Payne for having the courage to tell the truth, and counter the blather being spread by Prescott Wildland Chief Willis and Mouthpiece Paxon. These men broke the rules of wiland firefighting and paid the fatal price. Yes, it is very tragic indeed. I grieve for heir families, friends, and loved ones. However, this tragic event as clearly predictable and therefore clearly preventable. LCES must be applied on every fire, every time. The Ten Standard Orders must be followed on every fire, every time. The 18 Watch Out Situations must be recognized, heeded, and mitigated on every fire every time.
I believe another issue is that the Governor had not released funds to fight the fire. She did so Tuesday after the 19 hot shots were killed. They didn’t have the air support or ground support because of lack of funds.
The State finally appears to have taken a stand to protect workers with respect to company supervisors who endanger their workers, violate safety protocols, and retaliate when caught. Will the Board of Supervisors at this Tucson water district obey the rule of law now or keep on fighting the state at the ratepayer expense? Will they reinstate their resigned Safety Officer now and begin to follow her directive?
http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/CivilCourtCases Case History CV2013-010140