BAKER, Nevada, Aug. 14, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A Hotshot firefighter has been killed battling a blaze near the Utah-Nevada border.
Justin Beebe of Bellows Falls, Vermont died Saturday when a tree fell on him as he was deployed with other Hotshot firefighters about 5 miles west of Baker, Nevada.
“This loss of life is tragic and heartbreaking,” Great Basin National Park Superintendent, Steve Mietz said. “Please keep the family and Forest Service employees in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
The Strawberry Fire began last Monday just west of the Utah border and has burned approximately 5,000 acres.
Beebe had been sent to the area along with 400 other fire crews. He was a member of the elite Lolo Hotshots based in Region 1 of the U.S. Forest Service.
The Strawberry Fire is being managed by Great Basin Incident Management Team 7, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
