Authorities have released the name of a firefighter killed in the line of duty yesterday at the Middle Fork Complex.
56 year-old Frumencio Ruiz Carapia of Medford was on the eastern edge of the Gales Fire when he was hit by a falling tree.
An investigation shows the tree unexpectedly snapped and fell, and was not due to any active tree-cutting operations.
Efforts to help Ruiz Carapia were unsuccessful; he died on scene of his injuries. In a release, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office says it’s deeply saddened by the tragic event.
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