Colorado Firecamp has bundled S-230, Crew Boss with S-231, Engine Boss, offering both classes as a single session including meals and lodging. Our next S-230/231 classes are:

• October 17-20, 2024
  

Cost: $650 includes tuition, meals & lodging.

Pre-course Assignment:

Safe Practices Under Blow-up Conditions — a Training Outline for the Fire Crew Boss — Fire Control Notes, 1958

Basics of Fire Suppression — Lynn Biddison, 1982

Thirtymile Criminal Complaint, 2006

• Thirtymile Criminal Counts
• OIG Affidavit
• Thirtymile Overview
• The Investigations
• Involuntary Manslaughter
• Material False Statements
• Conclusion
• Attachments

I, the undersigned complainant being duly sworn state the following is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Continued on the attached sheet incorporated herein by this reference.
I further state that I am a Special Agent and that this complaint is based upon the following facts:

COUNT ONE On or about July 10, 2001, in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, in the Eastern District of Washington, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did commit a lawful act or a series of lawful acts, specifically, supervising firefighters who were working to suppress a wildfire in the Chewuch River Canyon, which was referred to as the Thirtymile Fire, in a manner that was grossly negligent, meaning in a manner that was in wanton and reckless disregard for human life, with the Defendant knowing of circumstances that reasonably would cause the Defendant to foresee that the Defendant's course of conduct in the supervision of the firefighters might place the lives of firefighters in danger, which was the proximate cause of the death of Tom Craven, a firefighter who was employed by the Forest Service, US. Department of Agriculture, while Tom Craven was engaged in the performance of his official duties; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1112 and 1114.

COUNT TWO On or about July 10, 2001, in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, in the Eastern District of Washington, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did commit a lawful act or a series of lawful acts, specifically, supervising firefighters who were working to suppress a wildfire in the Chewuch River Canyon, which was referred to as the Thirtymile Fire, in a manner that was grossly negligent, meaning in a manner that was in wanton and reckless disregard for human life, with the Defendant knowing of circumstances that reasonably would cause the Defendant to foresee that the Defendant's course of conduct in the supervision of the firefighters might place the lives of firefighters in danger, which was the proximate cause of the death of Karen Fitzpatrick, a firefighter who was employed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, while Karen Fitzpatrick was engaged in the performance of her official duties; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1112 and 1114.

COUNT THREE On or about July 10, 200 1, in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, in the Eastern District of Washington, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did commit a lawful act or a series of lawful acts, specifically, supervising firefighters who were working to suppress a wildfire in the Chewuch River Canyon, which was referred to as the Thirtymile Fire, in a manner that was grossly negligent, Ellreese N. Daniels meaning in a manner that was in wanton and reckless disregard for human life, with the Defendant knowing of circumstances that reasonably would cause the Defendant to foresee that the Defendant's course of conduct in the supervision of the firefighters might place the lives of firefighters in danger, which was the proximate cause of the death of Jessica Johnson, a firefighter who was employed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, while Jessica Johnson was engaged in the performance of her official duties; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1112 and 1114.

COUNT FOUR On or about July 10, 2001, in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, in the Eastern District of Washington, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did commit a lawful act or a series of lawful acts, specifically, supervising firefighters who were working to suppress a wildfire in the Chewuch River Canyon, which was referred to as the Thirtymile Fire, in a manner that was grossly negligent, meaning in a manner that was in wanton and reckless disregard for human life, with the Defendant knowing of circumstances that reasonably would cause the Defendant to foresee that the Defendant's course of conduct in the supervision of the firefighters might place the lives of firefighters in danger, which was the proximate cause of the death of Devin Weaver, a firefighter who was employed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, while Devin Weaver was engaged in the performance of his official duties; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1112 and 1114.

COUNT FIVE On or about July 12, 2001, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation concerning his conduct while supervising firefighters on the Thirtymile Fire; specifically, during an interview with a member of the Forest Service Safety and Accident Investigation Team and a representative of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, while describing the events following the entrapment of a portion of the Northwest Regular #6 firefighting crew and through the deployment of fire shelters by those crew members, the Defendant stated that he told a female firefighter to get two civilians into her fire shelter and to keep them in her shelter; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that he had not given any instruction to the female firefighter to get the two civilians into her fire shelter; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

COUNT SIX On or about July 12, 2001, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation concerning his conduct while supervising firefighters on the Thirtymile Fire; specifically, during an interview with a member of the Forest Service Safety and Accident Investigation Team, in response to a question about what communication took place between the Defendant and a small group of firefighters who were on a scree slope above a road at the site where the entrapped members of the Northwest Regular #6 firefighting crew eventually deployed their fire shelters, the Defendant stated that he told the group at least three times to come down out of the rocks because that is not the place to be; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that he had not told the small group of firefighters to come down out of the rocks; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

COUNT SEVEN On or about July 12, 2001, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation concerning his conduct while supervising firefighters on the Thirtymile Fire; specifically, during an interview with a member of the Forest Service Safety and Accident Investigation Team, while discussing a small group of firefighters who were on a scree slope above a road at the site where the entrapped members of the Northwest Regular #6 firefighting crew eventually deployed their fire shelters, and in response to a question about whether the Defendant had any idea why the small group of firefighters did not do as he asked to come down out of the rocks, the Defendant stated that he did not have any idea and that he wished that he could have made them listen; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that he had not told the small group of firefighters to come down out of the rocks; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

COUNT EIGHT On or about August 9, 2001, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US. Department of Labor, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation concerning the conduct of Forest Service employees who were operating fire engines on the Thirtymile Fire, during an interview with a representative of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; specifically, in response to a question as to whether the Defendant knew that two fire engines had arrived at the fire, the Defendant stated that neither of the two fire engines, which were designated as Engine 701 and Engine 704, stopped to talk to the Defendant or to the Crew Boss Trainee for the Northwest Regular #6 firefighting crew when they arrived at the Thirtymile Fire on the afternoon of July 10, 2001; that the engines were "doing their own thing;" and that neither of the engines ever contacted the Defendant or the Crew Boss Trainee; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that the foreman of the larger of the two fire engines, Engine 701, had stopped, checked in with the Defendant, and confirmed with the Defendant that the engines would proceed up the Chewuch River Canyon to patrol for spot fires; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

COUNT NINE Between on or about March 14, 2002, and on or about March 28, 2002, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, US. Department of Agriculture, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation on or about March 14, 2002, during an interview with members of the Forest Service Administrative Review Team that was examining the conduct of Forest Service employees who worked on the Thirtymile Fire, and did knowingly and intentionally document that false and fictitious material statement and representation in a declaration that the Defendant signed on or about March 28, 2002; specifically, the Defendant stated that neither of the two fire engines, which were designated as Engine 701 and Engine 704, checked in with the Defendant when they arrived at the Thirtymile Fire on the afternoon of July 10, 2001; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that the foreman of the larger of the two fire engines, Engine 701, had stopped, checked in with the Defendant, and confirmed with the Defendant that the engines would proceed up the Chewuch River Canyon to patrol for spot fires; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

COUNT TEN Between on or about March 14, 2002, and on or about March 28, 2002, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation on or about March 14, 2002, during an interview with members of the Forest Service Administrative Review Team that was examining the conduct of Forest Service employees who worked on the Thirtymile Fire, and did knowingly and intentionally document that false and fictitious material statement and representation in a declaration that the Defendant signed on or about March 28, 2002; specifically, while describing the events from the time that a portion of the Northwest Regular #6 firefighting crew re-engaged the wildfire through the deployment of fire shelters by the entrapped crew members, the Defendant stated that he told Tom Craven and the other firefighters who were with Tom Craven in a loud voice to come down from the scree slope to the road, but that the firefighters did not come down from the scree slope; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that he had not told the small group of firefighters to come down from the scree slope to the road; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

COUNT ELEVEN Between on or about March 14, 2002, and on or about March 28, 2002, in the Eastern District of Washington, in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Defendant ELLREESE N. DANIELS did knowingly and intentionally make a false and fictitious material statement and representation on or about March 14, 2002, during an interview with members of the Forest Service Administrative Review Team that was examining the conduct of Forest Service employees who worked on the Thirtymile Fire, and did knowingly and intentionally document that false and fictitious material statement and representation in a declaration that the Defendant signed on or about March 28, 2002; specifically, while describing the events from the time that a portion of the Northwest Regular #6 firefighting crew re-engaged the wildfire through the deployment of fire shelters by the entrapped crew members, the Defendant stated that he told a female firefighter to get a female civilian and a male civilian into her fire shelter and to keep them in her shelter; when in truth and in fact the Defendant knew during the interview that he had not given any instruction to the female firefighter to get the two civilians into her fire shelter; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

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