Relatório do Acidente ocorrido no Incêndio Florestal de Yarnel Hill

firefighters quickly evacuate residents. Some residents are overwhelmed, not knowing where to
go. Some they load into ambulances, others they pick up and drive to safety.
* * * * *
Upon hearing of the deployment, Dispatch
and resources on the fire immediately initiate a
medical response using the ICS for multiple
casualties including triage, treatment, and
transport leaders. They assign OPS1 as IC for
the Incident within an Incident (IWI). They
notify burn centers; mobilize medical personnel,
ambulances, and five medevac helicopters; and
set up a triage center. Blue Ridge IHC and
other firefighters begin a ground search for the
Granite Mountain IHC.
The crew of Ranger 58, an Arizona Department
of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter assigned to
the fire, loads medical gear when they overhear
the Granite Mountain IHC’s transmissions on
the air-to-ground frequency. 11 Ranger 58
launches at 1716 and ties in with ASM2 to help
aircraft and ground resources search for the
crew. They begin looking over the last reported
location of the crew but heavy smoke limits
their search area. They see backpack pumps
left at the helispot by the initial attack crew and
assume they are the Granite Mountain IHC’s
backpacks, adding to the confusion about the
crew’s location.
As the smoke clears, Ranger 58 sees the
Boulder Springs Ranch and, recalling the
Granite Mountain IHC’s earlier communication
about heading toward a ranch, flies in that
direction. At approximately 1810, nearly an
Granite Mountain Crew Movement,
1605-1642
During this period, the Granite Mountain
IHC’s motivation and path were unknown to
other resources on the fire. The best
available information (interviews, times,
evidence of probable route, and best
possible routes) suggests the following:
Around 1605 to 1610, the crew began
moving from the flank of the fire where they
had been working (the lunch spot area).
They traversed the two-track road near the
top of the ridge and proceeded southeast
along the ridge until they reached a saddle.
As they traveled along the ridge, they had a
good view of the fire. When they reached
the saddle at the logical spot to descend,
they had a direct and clear view of the
Boulder Springs Ranch but they rapidly lost
their view of the fire. The Ranch appears to
be very close and readily accessible. The
view is deceptive, however, because after
an initial descent, the slope quickly drops
off. The route to the Ranch is arduous,
strewn with boulders and covered with thick
chaparral brush. According to one local, the
terrain in the area is not difficult but it is
time consuming.
Granite Mountain IHC worked their way
down the slope through the boulders and
brush until the flaming front cut them off.
11 Ranger 58 flew two reconnaissance flights with members of the IMT earlier that day and was on
standby for medical, search and rescue, and additional reconnaissance flights.
Yarnell Hill Fire Serious Accident Investigation 30