United States Forest Service

On April 30, 2018, at approximately 11:30 a.m., an employee was helping to conduct a prescribed burn on a forest. He set his tool down to use the radio and communicate with others on the burn. When he reached down to pick up the tool, a copperhead snake that was camouflaged by leaves struck him on the right index finger knuckle.

An employee was breaking a horse in a training corral when the horse bucked the employee to the ground. He injured his back and ribs and was hospitalized.

While riding in a utility all terrain vehicle (UTV), an employee's right arm was caught and fractured between the UTV and a tree.

The injured employee was holding a board that was being cut by another employee. The board kicked back, causing the saw to amputate the employee's left little finger and lacerate their left hand, resulting in nerve damage.

On September 26, 2023, an employee was working in a trench box while a co-worker was lowering a piece of plastic pipe by hand using a rope. The pipe swung and struck the employee's hand, fracturing their right thumb and middle and ring fingers. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee went over to a co-worker's station while the co-worker was using a powered meat knife. As the injured employee was pointing, his right index fingertip was amputated.

Two employees were using a handheld banding tool to make banding tape for tent set-ups. One employee was holding the banding tool and the injured employee was looping a metal clip around the tape. The tool closed while the injured employee's hand was near the banding mechanism. The banding tape caught the employee's right ring finger as it tightened, resulting in a partial amputation.

An employee was holding a branch against a log on the ground to make a wedge while another employee was using a chainsaw to cut the wedge. The saw slipped and struck the employee holding the branch, resulting in a laceration to the right wrist.

An employee was loading the back of his truck with buckets of oil. As he was coming down off the truck, he slipped on a surface that was wet due to rain and fell about 3.5 feet to the ground, landing on his left elbow/arm. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured left humerus and required surgery.

On September 25, 2025, an employee climbed an aluminum extension ladder and was on top of the roof of a building She was walking around on the roof, inspecting and evaluating it. She was descending the ladder when the ladder slid to the right and twisted around as she hung onto it. She then fell 10-12 feet to the paved parking lot and the ladder landed on top of her. She sustained a fractured left collarbone, multiple other fractures, and had bruising to the left side of her abdomen.

An employee was supervising a crew as they felled a dangerous tree during a forest fire. The tree struck the employee as it fell, breaking bones.

An employee was riding a horse and leading several pack mules along a trail. A few mules started acting up, causing the horse to stir. The employee then fell off the horse and landed on a stiff woody protrusion that impacted her chest/rib area. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a punctured lung.

An employee was working on a tree thinning unit and was cutting a 6" diameter tree. During the back-cut when the chainsaw kicked back. The saw struck her, resulting in a 3-inch laceration on her left leg below the knee. She was hospitalized and required surgery.

An employee was installing PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) piping material for a propane line connection. He was cutting off excess PEX piping material with a PEX cutter. He noticed an unassociated piece of material was in the way of the PEX cutter. He reached up to move the infringing material, and his arm came down on the blade of the PEX cutter resulting in a severe laceration to his arm.

An employee was offroad, looking for a lost hiker. The employee fell off a canyon rim edge and landed on rimrock 5 or 6 feet below, suffering a separated shoulder and a head injury that required stitches. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee had been assisting fire crews with an active wildfire. The employee suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized for surgery.

An employee was fueling a vehicle when they tripped over the fuel hose and fell to the ground. They were hospitalized with a broken nose and three broken ribs.

A park ranger was attempting to apprehend an individual when the individual fired a rifle at him; the employee was struck in the right foot while returning fire. Two of the employee's toes were amputated.