Everything Under The Sun: Sacrificing To Fight Wildfires

The blaze in northern Washington, resulting in three deaths and one severe injury.

They occurred throughout the hot and bone dry summer in the far western US - forest fires. There were so many destroying so much acreage that even the number of firefighters became scarce. Ah, yes, those firefighters, who bravely fought all of those blazes, to try to save property, lives, and even parts of the natural environment.

Many volunteered, some do this same task every year. Some are injured and some even die, fighting those fires that have become more numerous, one of the consequences of climate change. On August 19, four firefighters got caught in a flare-up while fighting a wildfire in northern Washington state. All four got into the firetruck, hoping to outrace the fire, but the truck crashed over a 40-foot embankment. Richard Wheeler, Andrew Zajac, and Tom Zbyszewski died that day, as the flames overtook the crashed vehicle.

There was one survivor, Daniel Lyon, 25 years old, burned over more than 60% of his body. Recovery hasn't been easy and it's still ongoing. Anyone who knows about what burn care involves knows that it is a painful journey. Yet, Daniel has survived and continues to fight his way forward. So far, he has endured eleven surgeries to save his life and to provide alternative skin covering through grafts. His hands were so badly damaged that the tips of his fingers had to be amputated.

He has scarring all over his body, including on his face and head, some from burns, others from providing the tissue for the skin grafts. He has to wear a mask and elasticized clothing to keep the scarred areas flattened and supple. They help to reduce the muscle contractures from the deep burns, so his body can retain as much movement as possible. Daniel has been in the hospital since the day of the accident, but two days ago, he prepared to leave for the first time, with both of his parents by his side.

There is no doubt that Daniel misses the firefighters with whom he tried to escape the blaze that day back in August. He has fought for, and dedicated his recovery to the memory of his brother firefighters who lost their lives in the crash. He said, "Those guys are the reason that I'm here today. For Andrew, Tom, and Rick, and their families - I don't want their legacy to stop here. These guys are truly brothers to me. We shared a lot of great moments together. It's hard for me to believe that I'm here today, so I thank them all for that, and especially my parents, who have been here every day to wake me up in the morning and they tuck me into bed at night."

Daniel was confined to a hospital bed and unable to walk until about a month ago. Even the doctors have been pleased by his recovery. It had been thought that his lungs were severely injured in the blaze, but over the months it was found that the injury was not as severe as originally thought. And that's good news for this rookie firefighter, who had undertaken this job primarily because of his love of working outdoors.

This young man was able to express his happiness at being able to leave the hospital finally. He said, "I can't wait to get home, see my dog, be more active, just be outside. [B]eing outside is truly where I feel at home." He is also thankful for the amount of support he has received, from fellow firefighters, family, and people he doesn't even know. Daniel said, "That support has been truly the best therapy for me."

Daniel Lyon before his firefighting days.

Whenever you see a story in the news about massive wildfires, whatever the cause, give a thought to three young men who gave their lives and one who survived and continues to fight his way to recovery. These are the brave, the ones who struggle to save lives and property before they also become consumed by out-of-control wildfires.