UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: At approximately 8:30 a.m. on July 28, 2017, Employee #1, part of a crew of thre e firefighters, responded to a reported fire along the roadway. Upon arrival, th ey were directed by a resident of the neighborhood to an area along the shorelin e. The crew found an area approximately 30 feet by 30 feet that had burned on th e point. They attempted to extinguisher the fire with water cans and hand tools, but it was too large of an area. The commander requested an emergency boat to t heir location for hose lines and water pumps to aid in extinguishing the fire. E ach of the crew was wearing boots, turnout coat, fire helmet and gloves. The ope rator of the chainsaw was also wearing chaps, gloves and a forestry type helmet while operating the chainsaw. Employee #1 was sent to the shoreline to wait for the emergency boat and direct them to an area where they could place the suction hose in deeper water, as the tide was going out. While waiting for the emergenc y boat to arrive, the employee removed his PPE due to the high ambient temperatu res (approximately 82 degrees Fahrenheit). After deployment of the fire pump, Em ployee #1 was standing on the edge of the fire area looking for a way to walk ar ound the fire, when the ground beneath him gave way. The employee fell to his ri ght side towards and into the fire, and received second and third-degree burns o n his right arm from his elbow to his hand, and his left arm had a small area th at received a first-degree burn. Employee #1 was transported by the emergency bo at to the dock where an ambulance was waiting for him and transported him to a l ocal hospital for medical treatment.