Falling tree kills California fire crew member in Calaveras Big Trees State Park
A falling tree killed a firefighter working on a prescribed burn in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Darin Banks, 26, of Red Bluff was part of a contract crew preparing a site for intentional burning when the accident happened Friday, May 6. He worked for Firestorm Wildland Fire Suppression Inc., a Chico-based company that provides forest thinning and related services.
“He leaves behind his 4-year-old son, mother, siblings, grandparents and great-grandparents,” said a GoFundMe page created by his employer. “Our hearts go out to all who knew and loved Darin, and we ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this time of sorrow.”
The prescribed burn will be in the South Grove of the park, which totals about 6,500 acres near Arnold. It is designed to protect centuries-old giant sequoias from intense fire by reducing the grass, brush and smaller trees in the understory.
Banks’ death is under investigation by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the Tuolumne County Coroner’s Office. The site is just south of the Calaveras-Tuolumne county line.
The accident happened while Banks’ crew was clearing dead, standing trees as part of the control lines for the upcoming burn, a Cal-OSHA spokesperson said by an email Wednesday.
“The top of a tree broke off and fell, striking the injured employee in the head, back and legs. He could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene. “
Cal-OSHA has six months to complete its investigation.
Prescribed burns are set under guidelines aimed at preventing escape and excessive smoke. They are designed to mimic the frequent fires sparked by lighting and Native Americans.
The burns have been used in Yosemite National Park since the 1980s and are gaining favor on national forests, private rangeland and other landscapes.
As of noon Wednesday, the Gofundme page for Banks had raised $23,267 toward its $25,000 goal.
“The response has been incredible and we are extremely grateful,” the organizer posted. “... At this time Firestorm’s focus is on taking care of the family and crew.”
Banks’ death came about four years after another contract worker died in a central Sierra wildfire. Braden Varney, 36, was operating a bulldozer for Cal Fire on the Ferguson blaze in Mariposa County.
The same fire killed Brian Hughes, 33, a captain with the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, part of the National Park Service.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 12:32 PM.
