On Sunday, September 1, 2019, the Okanogan Fire Department/Okanogan County Fire District 3 responded to the Spring Coulee wildland fire. Assistant Chief Christian Dean Johnson, 55, and another firefighter were in a brush truck on the north end of the fire when the flames overtook them. The firefighter with Assistant Chief Johnson was able to outrun the fire, but Johnson was unable to escape. The other firefighter came back to treat him and called for help. Assistant Chief Johnson was airlifted to the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA, where he died on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, from the burn injuries he sustained in the fire.
Our condolences to the Family & Friends, Okanogan Fire Department/Okanogan County Fire District 3, and to all affected by Assistant Chief Christian Dean Johnson’s passing.
To date, 41 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2019. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.
