Incident Name: Horton Fire, Payson Ranger District, Tonto NF
Date: July 10. 1989, about 0900 hours
Personnel: Ernie Cachini
Age: 19
Agency/Organization: Bureau of Indian Affairs
Position: firefighter
Summary:
On July 10, 1989 the Zuni Fire Crew from New Mexico was fighting the Horton Fire on the Payson Ranger District, Tonto National Forest in the Mogollon Rim Country, Arizona. They were working their way from the rim down towards the original location of the Zane Gray Cabin on SR 260. A front moved in with lightning and rain. Two strikes came down, one within the burn, one outside. Ernie Cachini was struck by lightning. He was airlifted to a Payson hospital, where he died… 19 years old.
Maps
General Incident Location: W State Road 260 and Mogollon Rim , Arizona
{mosmap lat=’34.50204’|lon=’-111.908008’|marker=’0’|text=’General Incident Location’}
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- News Article about Ernie Cachini
- USFA Memorial Database: Ernie Cachini
- Memorial at the old Payson Station (now a museum); map of the museum location below.
“Dedicated to Firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our magnificent Mogollon Rim Country.”
- Chuck Cochane TBM Air Tanker Pilot 6/15/61 Roberts Fire
- Constantine (Corky) Kodz FS Employee 6/21/61 Hatchery Fire air crash
- Arthur G. Goodnow Pilot 6/21/61 Hatchery Fire
- Ernie Cachini Zuni Fire Crew struck by lightning 7/10/89 Horton Fire
- Sandra J. Bachman, Perryville Crew Guard, 6/26/90 burned over in Dude Fire
- James E. Ellis, 6/26/90 Dude Fire entrapment
- Joseph L. Chacon, 6/26/90 Dude Fire entrapment
- Alex S. Contreras, 6/26/90 Dude Fire entrapment
- James L. Denney, 6/26/90 Dude Fire entrapment
- Curtis E. Springfield, 6/26/90 Dude Fire entrapment
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Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Wildlandfire.com: Memorials and Monuments
Media Articles and Reports.
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
Memorial location in Payson, AZ
{mosmap lat=’34.232418’|lon=’-111.344140’|marker=’0’|text=’Memorial location in Payson’}
Contributors to this article: Mark Johnson, Mike Johns
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from Mark Johnson, several communications, posted with permission.
I WAS LOOKIN FOR AN INCIDENT CALLED THE HORTON FIRE IN AZ , I BELIEVE 91 OR 92 WHERE A CREW MEMBER WAS HIT BY LIGHTNING AND DIED …NAME WAS ERNIE CACHINA (APPRX SPELLING) 19 YEARS OLD…I WAS THE CREW BOSS FOR THE CREW…THEY WERE FROM NEW MEXICO…THX…MJ
follow-up to a few questions
FIRE WAS AROUND 900 ACRES… WE WERE WORKING OUR WAY FROM THE RIM DOWN TOWARDS ZANE GRAY CABIN… LIGHTNING WITH RAIN… 2 STRIKES, ONE INSIDE THE BURN ONE OUTSIDE… I THINK HE DIED INSTANTLY… 19 YEARS OLD… THINK IT WAS ON PAYSON DISTRICT… ZUNIS HAD THEIR OWN DEBRIEFING…. I WENT TO R.O. IN NM FOR A BRIEFING… SENT HOME… HE HAD FRIENDS ON CREW… CREW FLOWN BACK TO GALLUP AND SENT HOME… thanks for doing this… it was needed… mj