VIRGINIA CITY — The firefighter community is mourning following the death of a veteran firefighter battling the Bivens Creek Fire in the Tobacco Roots.
On Sunday afternoon, incident commanders received word of what they call an “incident within an incident.” Amy Hyfield, with the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 6, said that’s when they learned a firefighter had suffered a cardiac emergency.
“Many of us gathered together with the communications and the medical folk and found out that there was in fact a cardiac emergency that unfortunately resulted in the passing of one of our firefighters out on the line,” Hyfield said.
Officials have identified the fallen firefighter as 56-year-old Ruben Romero of Keizer, Oregon. Romero was a veteran with more than 20 years of experience on the fireline.
Image: Ruben Romero (Photo credit: TJ Forestry Contracting LLC)
At the Madison County Fairgrounds, tents line the property where hundreds of firefighters working the Bivens Creek and Cloudrest Fires are calling home.
“It hits all of us pretty hard. The firefighter community is pretty small we are all kind of one family and the death of a firefighter really trickles throughout the community, not just on this fire but throughout the country and the world,” Hyfield said.
On Monday, crews handed out hundreds of purple and black ribbons colors that honor fallen firefighters like Romero.
“We had a moment of silence for him this morning, and we will continue with celebrating, honoring and remembering him and doing what we can to help support crews,” Hyfield said.
But amid the grief, the mission continues.
“There is still a fire to fight,” Hyfield said.
WATCH: Oregon firefighter remembered after death on Bivens Creek fireline
Nearly 800 personnel spent the day digging lines, clearing hot spots, and working to protect communities. Hyfield said that for firefighters, honoring Romero means carrying on his work.
“Being able to go out there and continue that work, I know many of us feel like if I was to fall that’s what I would want my friends, my commands, my colleagues to do to get out there and get after it,” she said.
As the Bivens Creek and Cloudrest Fires continue to burn thousands of acres, Hyfield said community support has helped carry firefighters through.
“The incredible feeling of hospitality that we have had in this community,” Hyfield said.
Romero’s family is now traveling to Montana. An honor guard made up of incident and local crews will stay with him until his body is escorted home.
RELATED — UPDATE: The Bivens and Cloudrest Fires; Community information meeting tonight
