Incident Name: Labor Fire, Bitterroot National Forest
Date: September 3, 2001, 1000 hours
Personnel: David Rendek of Hamilton MT
Age: 24
Agency/Organization: US Forest Service
Position: frefighter
Summary: On September 3, 2001 at approximately 1:00 a.m., Firefighter Dave Rendek and other wildland firefighters were organized as a crew and sent to size up the Labor Fire in the area of the ski slopes of Lost Trail Ski Resort near the Montana/Idaho border, Sula MT. When they arrived, they found that it was too dangerous to fight the fire in the dark due to steep terrain and a large amount of dead wood. The decision was made to wait until morning to fight the fire. The crew spent the night laying hose and cold trailing hot spots outside of the main fire area.
The next morning, Firefighter Rendek was cutting down dangerous trees (falling snags) with a chain saw. A helicopter equipped with a bucket was working the fire but was not in the same area where Firefighter Rendek was working.
Handcrews were about to begin work. Firefighter Rendek said that he only needed a few more minutes to work and then he was going to rest. As he walked downhill to his work area, a pine tree with a diameter of 11 inches fell and struck Firefighter Rendek on the head and shoulders.
When other firefighters reached Firefighter Rendek, he was not breathing and a pulse could not be found. CPR was initiated and then stopped when Firefighter Rendek began to breathe on his own. Firefighter Rendek’s condition deteriorated and CPR was reinitiated.
Firefighter Rendek was removed from the remote area where he was injured via a pickup truck and All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). CPR was in-progress until Firefighter Rendek was placed on a medical helicopter; a total of approximately one hour and 45 minutes later. Firefighter Rendek died in flight. The cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries to the head.
The fire was caused by a lightning strike.
Maps
location of accident:
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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- USFS: Press Release 9/3/01
Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Announcement of Dave Rendek’s memorial service: theysaid 9/6/01
- Message from Vicki, Melissa & Burk at the WFF about Dave’s mom visiting: theysaid 12/17/04
- Dave’s Memoriial Photo: Wildlandfire.com Memorials Photo Page
Media Articles and Reports
- ObituaryPublished on 2001-09-11, Page A1, The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA)
David Rendek Jr. enjoyed the hills of Montana, snowboarding, playing drums and guitar with his buddies and most of all, realizing his dream of a full-time job with the U.S. Forest Service. “He loved his work and he loved the outdoors,” said Rendek’s father, David, of Santa Maria, Calif.
The 24-year-old, who grew up in the South County, died Sept. 3 while fighting a fire in the Bitterroot National Forest on the slopes of the Lost Trail Ski area. David Ray Rendek Jr., 24, of Hamilton, Mont., died Monday, Sept. 3, 2001, while fighting a forest fire in Sula, Mont.
A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Arroyo Grande CA Cemetery. The Rev. Bob Banker will officiate.
Dave Rendek was born June 30, 1977, in San Luis Obispo. He attended school in Arroyo Grande, Calif. and later Victor High School in Victor, Mont. He worked with the Smoke Jumper Center in Missoula, Mont.
- Friends pack rites for fallen firefighterSeptember 8, 2001 | Online Article
HAMILTON (AP) — One last time, Jesse Myers wanted to pull on his work boots with the best friend he ever had. Because that was how the two young firefighters began each morning at the Sula Ranger Station. Taking off their sandals and tugging on high-topped, thick-soled boots. Talking about the day ahead, and joking around.So Myers carried two pairs of work boots onto the stage of Hamilton High School’s auditorium Friday afternoon, and two chairs. And set them down in front of David Rendek’s flag-draped coffin. And as Rendek’s chair and boots sat empty, Myers slowly traded sandals for socks and boots, and laced them twice around the top. “I just wanted to do that one last time with David,” Myers explained to the more than 600 friends, firefighters and family members gathered for a service in memory of David Ray Rendek Jr., who died Monday while fighting a wildfire near Lost Trail Pass south of Sula.
Rendek, 24, was a full-time firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, known for his energy and hard work on the fire line and for the smile that shone through his sooty, end-of-day face. “He always had the sootiest face,” said Sula District Ranger Craig Bobzien. “Dave worked that way. He worked that hard.”
Firefighters from ranger districts and rural fire departments throughout the Bitterroot Valley filled the auditorium nearly to capacity, comrades be they friends or strangers. “I don’t know how many times on fires I’ve heard about or seen close calls with trees,” said Bill Burhop, who helped train Rendek four summers ago in his rookie season on the Sula district. “They are out there, the risks,” Burhop said. “Trees fall and give us no warning, and our friends can be in their path.” There will be no explanation, he said, for why a snag fell on Rendek as he fought a few-acre fire on the slopes of Lost Trail ski area last Monday morning. His death will never make sense.
“But we will line out again,” said Jack Kirkendall, the Bitterroot National Forest’s fire management officer. “We will move up the hill with Dave’s spirit as our safe anchor.”… (snip)
Rendek is survived by his mother, Dede Dizney; his father, David Rendek; his sister Michelle; his girlfriend Rhonda Bennett; and hundreds of friends, relatives and fellow firefighters. He will be buried on Wednesday in California. (much more at the link)
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- USFA Memorial Database: David Ray Rendek, Jr
- USFS Heroes Memorial: David Ray Rendick, Jr
Protecting the ski slopes of Lost Trail Ski Resort near the Montana/Idaho border, Sula MT
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Contributors to this article: Ben Croft, Cache Queen, WFF, John Miller, Rene Vanderhooft
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