A firefighter battling the Dragon Bravo Fire near the entrance to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim died in the line of duty Monday afternoon.
The firefighter, who was a member of the Southwest Area Incident Management Team No. 3, was in the middle of “suppression repair” when he suffered a “cardiac emergency” near the North Rim Entrance Station, federal fire officials said.
“Rapid medical assistance” was administered, but sadly, efforts were unsuccessful and the firefighter was pronounced dead.
As of now, the man’s name has not been released. An investigation into his death remains ongoing.
“Our hearts go out to his family and friends. The wildland fire community is inherently interagency, and a line of duty death impacts us all,” officials said in a statement.
“We deeply appreciate this firefighter’s dedication to his profession and to the communities threatened by wildland fire. Support is being provided to fellow professional wildland firefighters and friends on the Dragon Bravo Fire.”
Two months later, Dragon Bravo Fire still demands attention
The Dragon Bravo Fire was ignited by a lightning strike on July 4. Since then, the blaze has done immense damage, burning over 145,000 acres of land.
Nearly half of the 229 structures in the North Rim have been damaged or destroyed, as of one week ago. As of today, the wildfire is 80% contained, but repair efforts continue.
Roughly 570 fire personnel remain assigned to the Dragon Bravo Fire, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. Their chief duty is suppression repair.
