Incident Name: Rainbow Springs Fire
Date: 04/25/84, approximately 1645 hrs
Personnel: 2 Lives Lost
Age: Varies
Agency/Organization: US Forest Service
Position: Dozer Operater Team
Summary:
Paul Keener, Age 40
James L Frizzell, Age 34
On April 25, 1984 a fire started in logging slash on the Mena District of the Ouachita National Forest. The area experienced high fire danger on this day, with a number of new starts that all saw unusually high fire behavior for the fuel conditions. Keener and Frizzell were members of the Poteau Tractor Crew. Ground Crews were conducting a burnout operation, when there was a tremendous build up of the fire. The ground crews disengaged, and approximately 5-10 minutes later the bodies of Keener and Frizzell were discovered; both died of asphyxiation and burns.
Maps
Accident Site (approximate) {mosmap lat=’34.532530’| lon=’-94.271736’|text=’Burnover location for the Rainbow Springs Fire’}
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- USFS Accident Investigation: Report (4.3 MB pdf)
- Rainbow Springs Fire: Final Report (4.6 MB pdf)
- Rainbow Springs Fire Fatality Case Study, 11:34 min, Wildlandfire Lessons Learned Center YouTube
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Wildlandfire.com Links:
Media Articles and Reports.
Santa Rosa CA Press Democrat article
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- USFA Memorial Database: Thurman Paul Keener Jr | James Frizzell
- Paul Keener and James L Frizzell are honored on the USFA National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD The plaque for 1984 is organized by state. Look under under Arkansas.
Contributors to this article: Chris Anderson, John Miller and Rene Vanderhooft
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