A 24-year old Idaho man died last week while working on the 337 Fire near Mineral Wells, Texas.
Caleb Hamm was a member of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Bonneville Interagency Hotshot crew, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He collapsed while working on the fireline and was being medically evacuated to a nearby hospital when he died.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, but indications are the extreme heat in Texas was a primary factor. An accident investigation team has been organized and will begin its work on July 9.
“Our entire organization deeply mourns the death of one of our own, Caleb Hamm,” said Robert V. Abbey, BLM’s national director. “His passing gives us pause to consider what truly matters in life. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family, friends and members of his crew.”
Hamm had served as a seasonal firefighter for six years. This was his first as a member of a hotshot crew. He was a 2010 graduate of the University of Idaho and resided in the Boise, Idaho, area.