Butler 2 Fire - Eight USFS Forestry firefighters injured

Eight crew members aboard a United States Forestry crew buggy were injured

USFS Crew Buggy after accident

Helicopter 534 crew buggy

The cab broke loose on the way down the hill. The crew box stopped
facing up sitting on the back doors.

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Location: Snow Valley, BIG BEAR, Calif. -- State Route 18 near Big Bear Lake - One mile to the west of Big Bear Dam

The firefighters were helping to mop up the Butler 2 Fire, Forestry bus went over the side of Highway 18 along the Arctic Circle The forestry hand crew bus crashed through a guard rail and went over the side of at mid-morning on Monday, tumbling at least 400 feet down possibly as far as 1,200 feet.
CHP Scanner traffic reported that the location of the accident is two miles west of the Big Bear Dam. The vehicle is "approximately 100 feet below the fire ridge" and was in two pieces. The cab and the chassis were separated from the crew box.
Injuries: Six people suffered minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to Bear Valley Community Hospital. Two people suffered moderate injuries, according to authorites.
One crewmember was extricated from the vehicle, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
Resources: Two Helicopters and four ground ambulances, were sent to the scene, and a third Life Flight Helicopter was requested.

Updates: The US Forest Service dispatch log indicates that the crew may have been from Heaps Peak Helibase located between Sky forest and Running Springs.

According to the US Forest Service Press Release, all eight individuals are alert and responding. The Forest Service has withheld the names of the victims and which helicopter support crew was involved.

The vehicle was a "chase buggy" that was carrying crew members supporting a helicopter working the Butler Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, said Andrea Lannen, a dispatcher for the U.S. Forest Service.

Some of the crew members had broken bones, including one person who had a possible broken pelvis, she said. That person was being transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, while others were being taken to Bear Valley Community Hospital.

"So far there's a lot of broken bones," she said.

Highway 18 was closed in both directions between Running Springs and Big Bear Lake so emergency crews could land helicopters on the road.
Wild CAD:

10/01/2007 09:44

BDF-9887

18/RK/H534 SUPPORT

Traffic Collision

HWY 18 WEST OF THE DAM

CHP CAD:

Incident:

0569

Type:

Traffic Collision - Ambulance Responding

Location:

SR18 AT ARTIC CIRCLE

Zoom Map:

4810 1B

info as of:

10/1/2007 2:00:02 PM

REQ TO HAVE CMS SIGN TURNED ON // SR 18 CLOSED FRM SNOW VALLEY TO BIG BEAR DAM // IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

1039 BILL AND WAGS WILL START LANDALL

1039 SGT FONSECA IS10 COPYS WILL FIND A MRE UNIT TO RESPOND ETA 1 - 1 1/2 HRS

12 ESCORTING TRF BACK TO TURN IT AROUND SB ---- ALSO HARD COSURE CAL TRANS TO CLOSE AT BIG BEAR DAM AND SNOW VALLEY ALSO A ETA PLS PER 101-L

^CLOSED 18 AT SNOW VALLEY

PER 101-L AT LEAST 2 HRS SNOW VALLEY AT 18

18 AT SNOW VALLEY OS CLOSED PER D2

18 AT THE BIG BEAR DAM SBSO HAS THE TRAFFIC STOPPED AT THIS 1020 AND FIRE PERSONNEL HAS THE TRAFFIC STOPPED ON THE SNOW VALLEY SIDE

21 12 FIRE 1184 SO HAS TRF STOPPED 18 AT BB DAMN

ASSIGN A UNIT TO 18 AT SNOW VALLEY

THE CLOSURE IS NOW AT GLORY RIDGE

PER 101 S1 REQING 3 HELICOPTER

ANY MEDIA CALLS ADVISE 101-D2 THANK U

CT CAN YOU RESP FOR CLOSURE

SR 18 CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FOR AIRSHIPS THAT WILL BE LANDING // WHEN AIRSHIPS STAGE WILL NEED UNITS FOR CLOSURE

SR 18 CLOSED BTWNTHE DAM AND GLORY RIDGE

SR 18 WILL BE SHUT DWN FOR MULTI HELICOPTERS LANDING

PLS ROLL BILL AND WAGS FOR RIG APPX 150FT O/SIDE

1039 COM CENTER

ABOUT 6 PEOPLE INV;D /// NEG PTYS TRAPPED

NOT VISUAL FROM THE RDWY

FOREST SVC RIG BUGGY ROLL OVER// FOREST SVC GOV TK