Missoula, Mont. (ap)
They were there to pay their respects to Justin Beebe, of Bellows Falls, Vt., who died Aug. 13 when he was struck by a tree while fighting a 7-square-mile blaze ignited by lightning Aug. 8 about 200 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Beebe was a member of the Lolo Hotshots based in Missoula, one of a number of elite Forest Service crews called to fight the most dangerous wildfires in the West.
Those attending the memorial service included his parents, Sheldon and Betsy Beebe, of Vermont, his sister, Jessica, and his fiancee, Jennifer Zaso. Jessica Beebe is a pediatric nurse at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Zaso is development director for the Monadnock Conservancy in Keene, N.H..
There were about 15 fire crews present, from Montana, Idaho, Arizona and the Blackfeet Nation.
Shawna Legarza, national director of fire and aviation management for the Forest Service and a former Hotshot, said it takes a special person to be a Hotshot.
Cody Forgea, senior firefighter for the Lolo Hotshots, called Beebe a “little brother.”
Forgea said the crew had a light breakfast the day Beebe died before climbing 1,100 vertical feet in 50 minutes to continue fighting the fire, digging fire lines and sawing trees.
Beebe died during his turn sawing, with “sweat on his brow, ash on his boots and a saw in his hand,” Forgea said.
Beebe will be buried in his home state of Vermont.
Canterbury, N.H. (ap)
Steve M. Bomba, 25, of Lincoln, N.H., was pronounced dead at the scene, New Hampshire State Police said.
Greg Collins, 41, of Piermont, an officer with the Haverhill Police Department, suffered serious injuries and was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for treatment. Information about his condition was not available last night.
The driver of the Ford F-150, Michael S. Weden, 29, of North Woodstock, N.H., who also serves as a Grafton County dispatcher, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.
Police said the pickup drifted into the center median of the interstate just north of exit 17 and hit a cluster of trees at about 5:15 Friday evening.
“Dispatcher Steven Bomba was a dedicated public servant, not only through his service to his community as a dispatcher, but also through his bravery and commitment to public safety as a firefighter in Lincoln,” Gov. Maggie Hassan said in a statement. “New Hampshire’s public safety officials put their lives on the line every day to protect their fellow citizens and keep our communities and our state safe. Now more than ever, it is our responsibility as Granite Staters to come together to support the families, loved ones and colleagues of Dispatcher Bomba, Officer Collins and Dispatcher Weden during this difficult time.”
The crash is under investigation. Anyone with information related to this crash may email michael.pelletier@dos.nh.gov or call 603-223-8699.
Campton, N.H. (ap)
More than 39,000 acres of damage were mapped this year, most showing white pine discoloration caused by a yellow and brown coloring of needles. The Forest Service said trees most severely affected are usually growing at the edge of bodies of water; in wet areas; and on dry, steep slopes.
The discoloration is caused by several types of fungus and is exacerbated by wet spring weather. There are currently no treatments available for this condition.
The mapping also showed damage to sugar maples and aspen by the forest tent caterpillar. Over 15,000 acres have been affected. While insecticides to control the caterpillar are available, there are no plans to treat any of the stands currently infested.
The quantity and quality of sugar maple sap is greatly reduced as a result of the caterpillars, the Forest Service said.
The acres mapped this year are “significantly more” than over 13,000 acres mapped last year and indicate a short-term increasing trend in damage, the Forest Service said.
Correction
Jessica Beebe is a pediatric nurse at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Jennifer Zaso is development director for the Monadnock Conservancy in Keene, N.H. Both live in Bellows Falls, Vt. An earlier version of this report gave incorrect employers and locations for both women.