Today we honor Justin Beebe by reflecting on and working to take forward a personal and collective lesson from the Strawberry Fire. 

Incident Summary:

The lightning-caused Strawberry Fire started on August 8, 2016, in Great Basin National Park and quickly grew across rough terrain. The Lolo Interagency Hotshot Crew arrived on August 10 to help limit the fire’s spread to the West. On August 13, Justin Beebe, a new member of Lolo’s Saw Team 1, was cutting a large snag that was hung up and supported by another tree. As he was “stepping” it down, the snag pivoted unexpectedly, and the upper portion struck Justin as he attempted to escape. Medics initiated immediate care, and he was extracted by short haul helicopter. Despite these efforts, Justin did not survive his injuries.

Justin Beebe sought challenges, pushed himself to achieve his goals, thrived in team environments, and had a tireless work ethic. His supervisors described him as a man of great character and humbleness. He died while realizing his ultimate dream working as a wildland firefighter. He was an avid mountain man and true Vermonter who knew how to live and love life and those he shared it with. His loved ones ask that you take a long walk in the woods to honor him.

Discussion: 

Justin was filling a position vacated when a regular saw team member accepted an assignment as Crew Boss Trainee. It was an opportunity to demonstrate his skills for a possible sawyer position in the future. This event occurred within a context that is familiar across the fire community: high-value operational tasks, the strong desire to contribute, gain experience, prove competence, pride in one’s abilities, and the pull of crew belonging. A duality exists that many traits inherent in firefighters and necessary to successfully perform the job also influence risk perception and decisions.

1. What traits or mindsets do you rely on to do your job (confidence, experience, drive, efficiency, perseverance)? How might those same strengths increase your willingness to take on risk?
2. How might these desires and opportunities to perform influence how we predict, communicate, and mitigate hazards? Does working as a trainee or filler change how you assess hazards? 
3. What effect do the perceived rewards and consequences have on choosing to continue when a task is not going as planned? What are some ways we can reward stepping back and reassessing?
4. How do individuals get chosen for these “high-value operational tasks” on your unit?  What are the benefits and drawbacks to doing it this way?

References:

• Strawberry Fire Tree Strike Fatality
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation - Justin R. Beebe
• Shawn Faiella - Did That Really Happen?