Following is a statement from the US Forest Service on the death of Firefighter Token Adams and the investigation into the cause of this hero’s death.
Forest Service
Washington
Office
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way Printed on Recycled Paper
File Code: 6730 Date September 13, 2013
Route To:
Subject: 72 Hour Preliminary Information Report, Schoolhouse Mesa Fire Accident
To: Lenise Lago
Designated Agency Safety and Health Official
Number and Type of Injuries: One fatality Name: Token Adams
On the afternoon of August 30th, 41 year old US Forest Service Engine Captain Token Adams was killed
in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident while searching for a lightning caused fire. A Learning Review
Team has been assigned to the incident and the review is underway.
Narrative:
Late in the afternoon of August 29th a crew member aboard a military aircraft reported a possible wildland
fire. The location of the reported fire was estimated to be in Cebolitta Canyon on the Jemez Ranger
district, Santa Fe National Forest, in the vicinity of an older fire that crews had believed to be no longer
active.
At approximately 0900 on August 30th, three firefighters (Token Adams among them) responded to the
general location of the reported smoke. Each of the firefighters brought an ATV. After a briefing
concerning the search strategy they each separately began scouting the area. Their first mission was to
confirm that the older fire was no longer active and a possible source of the smoke report. This mission
was completed and the three met back at their trucks around 1030. Their second mission was to broaden
their search area to locate the new fire. They discussed the broader search area and each left separately on
their ATVs. Each communicated with each other periodically by two way radio to coordinate the search.
Communications were also made with a lookout who was working on a nearby lookout tower and the
Santa Fe Interagency Dispatch office.
At 1344, Captain Adams communicated by radio with other firefighters concerning the status of the
search. After this time, calls to Captain Adams went unanswered. At about 1500 the new fire was
located by one of the firefighters and he called, via radio, to Captain Adams and the third firefighter to
respond to the new fire. With no response from Captain Adams, suppression on the new fire was halted
and all efforts were then directed towards contacting and locating Captain Adams. Within three hours a
formal Search and Rescue operation was ordered which involved numerous, volunteers, state, federal and
local government personnel. His body and the ATV were found on September 6th
.
Preliminary analysis indicates Captain Adams was thrown from his ATV as he negotiated over a slight
rise and then the ATV flipped onto Captain Adams resulting in fatal injuries. Captain Adams was known
to be a skilled ATV rider, he was properly trained and certified as an ATV operator, and he was wearing
all appropriate personal protective equipment.
/s/ Liz Agpaoa,
Learning Review Team Leader
cc: Steven C Schlientz, Mary Wagner, Calvin Joyner, David Ferrell, Steve Holdsambeck
