On Monday, August 31, 2020, Firefighter Diane Jones, 63, who worked for a private company during the wildland fire season, KL Farms/Fire LLC, was battling the wildfires in the Mendocino National Forest in California, when she was involved in a vehicle crash, along with two other firefighters. Firefighter Jones was repositioning the engine when it backed over an embankment and into a fire. She passed away from the injuries she sustained in the accident. One of the two other firefighters is being treated for injuries sustained in the crash, while the third firefighter was uninjured. Firefighter Diane Jones was a volunteer firefighter for the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department in Cresson, Texas. Her son, Captain Ian Shelly, also a member of the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department, was fighting the wildfires in the Mendocino National Forest as well.
Our condolences to the Jones Family & Friends, SKL Farms/Fire LLC, and to all affected by Firefighter Diane Jones's passing.
To date, 60 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2020. 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.)
