RENO, Nev. (AP) — A safety team is recommending improvements in communication tactics and training in the wake of a state wildlife helicopter crash that sparked a northern Nevada wildfire that severely burned two volunteer firefighters trying to rescue the crash victims.
The joint state-U.S. interagency team reviewing the Aug. 18 Sheep Creek Fire north of Battle Mountain said in a report made public Friday the rescue was hampered by the complexity of the response to the multi-jurisdictional incident.
It cites the failure to establish a unified command to oversee divergent radio frequencies and the lack of standards for volunteer firefighters' use of emergency protective gear and fire shelters.
The report notes that while the volunteer chief and a rookie firefighter injured had their personal protective equipment in their truck, neither had them on when flames burned over the fire engine.