Wednesday, August 5, 2009

No rest for the weary

Emergency services douse 2 fires, rescue 2 people in backcountry


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

A burning backhoe on east Fork Road was doused by members of the Ketchum Fire and Wood River Fire & Rescue departments on Saturday afternoon.

While most Wood River Valley residents enjoyed another beautiful summer weekend filled with plenty of live music and outdoor recreation, emergency responders in the north valley got more than their share of activity.

From Friday through Sunday, members of the Ketchum Fire Department responded to four serious incidents, including two fires and two backcountry rescues. Along with Ketchum, the Sun Valley, Wood River Fire & Rescue and Mackay fire departments all got into the action.

Friday, July 31

At 11 a.m., the Ketchum Fire Department was called to a fire at 300 Hyndman Creek Road, the last residence on the road, about three miles past Triumph. The house is approximately 9 miles from the intersection of East Fork Road and state Highway 75.

Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle said Idaho Power employees, at the home to check on a power outage that began the previous night, reported the fire. The same employees found one building burned to the ground but were able to douse more flames with buckets of water taken from a nearby hot tub. They also turned off the gas after spotting a propane line spewing flames.

The Ketchum Fire Department responded with two engines and a water tender, but only needed to ensure the fire was out. They returned to service by 12:30 p.m.

Elle said a 100-square-foot outbuilding that contained mechanical equipment and water boilers was completely destroyed and likely caused the power outage. Flames traveled under a deck and scorched the side of a larger pool house before Idaho Power staff knocked the flames down.

Elle said the damage is estimated at $50,000, and the fire was likely caused by self-combustion of oily rags.

"People need to be very, very careful with oil- or stain-soaked materials," Elle said. "They need to be soaked in water, and shouldn't just be balled up and left in a bucket in a closed building."

Saturday, Aug. 1

The next day proved much more trying for four members of the department's Hasty Team, who were called to the top of Bald Mountain at 1:55 p.m. after a a 63-year-old male reportedly suffered multiple mountain bike crashes and was in and out of consciousness.

With help from members of the Sun Valley Resort Mountain Operations staff, the emergency responders pushed the 230-pound man up a mile-and-a-half of singletrack on the Bald Mountain Perimeter Trail, behind Baldy's bowls, to the Broadway Saddle.

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"These guys are animals," Elle said of his staff's effort.

Elle said the victim suffered dehydration, with the temperature nearing 80 degrees, and possible hip and head injuries.

At the Broadway Saddle, the man was transferred from a wheeled litter to a truck and then driven down the mountain, arriving at St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center at 4:38 p.m.

Just before that situation was over, the department received a call on a fire on East Fork Road, 2.5 miles east of the intersection with state Highway 75.

On the scene, 12 members from the Ketchum and Wood River Fire & Rescue departments were faced with a backhoe that was fully engulfed in flames, reaching 20 feet into the air.

With three engines and a tender, firefighters were able to extinguish the fire by 5:21 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 2

To cap off a busy weekend, members of the Ketchum, Sun Valley and Mackay fire departments performed a difficult rescue Sunday night, retrieving a 49-year-old male with two fractured legs from a remote area at the top of Trail Creek Road.

Elle said that his department was dispatched at 8:02 p.m. to respond to a report of an injured man two miles past the Summit Creek trailhead, on the border of Blaine and Custer counties. Elle said the man had broken both legs after a large log rolled into him while taking a picture with his daughter during a hike.

Four Mackay firefighters were the first to arrive on the scene at 8:48 p.m., and were joined by the other emergency responders just before 10 p.m.

"We had 11 people helping and needed everybody," Elle said of rescue.

As darkness fell, the firefighters faced challenging terrain, with stream crossings, sharp switchbacks and fallen logs. With the victim in a wheeled litter, the firefighters got back to an ambulance waiting at the trailhead at 11:42 p.m., and transported the man to a helicopter near the summit of Trail Creek Road at 12:05 a.m. He arrived at the hospital at 12:45 a.m.

After an action-packed three days, Elle complimented the cooperation between the different departments and expressed the need for outdoor enthusiasts to take caution.

"Summer is here and people need to be aware of their situations and surroundings," Elle said. "They're in Idaho and in the woods; they need to know it can be dangerous and that it will take time for us to get you out."

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com




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