Trout Fire Dozer Entrapment 2025

On June 17th, 2025, at approximately 1725 a Type 3 dozer was attempting to suppress an active edge of a spot fire near homes along the Highway 35 corridor (Division H). Seeking a safer environment after a sudden increase in fire behavior, the dozer operator decided to exit the open cab dozer and run to a safety zone. While doing so, the dozer operator was exposed to flame and radiant heat and sustained burns to his hands, face, and ear. This incident initiated a rapid medical response that included paramedic and EMT personnel assigned to the area. The patient was transported to the local hospital in Silver City, New Mexico where the attending physician decided a referral to a burn center was in the patient’s best interest. The patient was flown via fixed-wing aircraft to the burn center in Phoenix, Arizona later that night, and was discharged from the burn center and returned home the next day.