Incident Name: Diamond Fire on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation near Whiteriver, Arizona.
Date: 7/23/11
Personnel: Deon “Dino” Classay
Age: 42
Agency/Organization: BIA Fort Apache Hotshots
Position: firefighter
Summary: On July 23, 2011, the Fort Apache Helitack crew and the Fort Apache Hotshots were fighting the 35 acre Diamond wildfire on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Following completion of a handline around the fire, all resources hiked to an established spike camp for the evening. As resources returned, the Incident Commander determined Classay was not accounted for and initiated a search. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact him throughout the evening, local, county and state law enforcement agencies were requested to assist with search efforts. At 6:18 am, Deon “Dino” Classay was found dead. Cause of death was due to a heart attack exacerbated by environmental heat exposure.
Maps
Accident location: USNG: 12S WC 95 44
{mosmap lat=’33.600310’|lon=’-109.621983’|marker=’0’|text=’Accident Location’}
- White Mountain Apache Tribe Website | Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- BIA: Press Release, 7/27/11 (59 K pdf)
- BIA: 24-Hour Report (97 K pdf)
- BIA: 72-Hour Report (49 K pdf)
- BIA: Diamond Fire Serious Accident Investigation Report (5,996 K pdf)
- BIA: Heat Illness and the Wildland Firefighter: Risks, Research and Recommendations (304 K pdf)
Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Theysaid: 7/24/11 (scroll up)
- Hotlist: Incident within an incident information begins 7/24/11
- Hotlist: Condolences Thread
Media Articles and Reports.
- Authorities probing firefighter death in Arizona Associated Press. 7/25/11FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a veteran firefighter who was reported missing from a blaze on the Fort Apache reservation in eastern Arizona. Search crews found the body of Deon Classay, of Whiteriver, early Sunday morning after a nighttime search and efforts to reach him through a handheld radio he was carrying a day earlier failed. More…
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- AZ Flags to fly at half staff: Arizona Governor’s Statement (48 K pdf)
- USFA Memorial Database: Deon Jason “Dino” Classay
Contributors to this article:
Please support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
