In 2002, there were no firefighter fatalities as the result of wildland fires overrunning firefighters' positions.

That's the good news from the recently released firefighter fatality study conducted by the U.S. Fire Administration. But 23 firefighters died from other causes while fighting wildland fires last year — eight more deaths than the previous year and the worst year for wildland LODDs since 1999. California and Colorado suffered the greatest casualties.

Wildland fatalities accounted for nearly a quarter of all U.S. firefighter fatalities in 2002, according to the 2002 Firefighters Fatality report released by the USFA Sept. 30.

Wildland fatalities included:

• Five firefighters died in the crash of a passenger van in Colorado.
• Three California firefighters died when their engine left the roadway.
• Two firefighters died while completing pack tests in California and Montana.
• Two firefighters suffered heart attacks as they fought wildland fires.
• Two firefighters died in apparatus crashes.
• Two firefighters were thrown from wildland firefighting vehicles and struck.
• One firefighter died when he was struck by a falling tree.

Killed last year were Joan Ester Spear, Leonard Gordon Knight, Bernes J. “Bernie” Schutte, Edna Faye Bishop, Robert Broussard, Steven Ray Wass, Craig Lebare, Michael Harlow Davis, Bartholomew Bailey, Jake Martindale, Daniel Rama, Retha Shirley, Zachary Zigich, Alan Wyatt, Rick Schwartz, Milt Stollak, Steven K. Oustad, Heather J. Depaolo, John Seth Self, Leonard Gordon Knight, Travis Lyn Wiens, Jason Kevin Jackson and Robert E. Peterson.

The firefighters were honored Oct. 5 in a national memorial service led by Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge in Emmitsburg, Md., at the site of the national fallen firefighter memorial.

The report is available online at the USFA Web site, www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-260.pdf. The report also contains links to NIOSH reports on some of the fatal incidents.