A veteran wildland firefighter was killed Monday while working to contain the Gales Fire in west-central Oregon.
KDRV News reports that 56-year-old Frumencio Ruiz Carapia was identified by the Lane County Sheriff's Office as the firefighter who was struck and killed by a falling tree while battling the Gales Fire north of the city of Oakbridge.
"Investigation has revealed that this accident was not the result of an active tree-cutting operation," the Sheriff's Office said. "It appears that the involved tree unexpectedly snapped and fell to the ground."
After the 20-year veteran firefighter's death, fellow responders formed a procession as his body, wrapped in an American flag, was wheeled past them before being prepared for transport back home to his home in Medford.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden put out a statement following Ruiz Carapia's death on Tuesday evening: "A sad reminder about the dangers that firefighters face to protect all of us here in Oregon. My deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. Carapia."
The Gales Fire is part of the Middle Fork Complex, a group of fires believed to have been sparked by lightning in the Willamette National Forest in late July.
