On May 24, 2021, agency fire personnel resources responded to a fire in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. During a late afternoon fire jump, smokejumper Tim Hart was injured when he landed on a rocky slope at the base of a ravine. Tim’s injuries were severe, and despite immediate care from emergency medical technicians and a well-coordinated air ambulance response, he passed away on June 2, 2021.

To better understand the conditions leading up to his death and to prevent future accidents, the Forest Service conducted an Organizational Learning Review. A key goal of these reviews is to ensure we are making wildland firefighting safer for people like Tim in the future. This learning review report now complete and available on the Wildfire Today website.

Tim was a smokejumper from the West Yellowstone jump base in Wyoming with six years of smokejumper experience. He was a base squad leader and a qualified incident commander Type 3.

Tim grew up in Illinois and lived with his wife in Cody, Wyoming. He was well respected by his family, friends, peers and colleagues and loved spending time outdoors, both alone and with friends and family.

He began his wildland firefighting career on the Forest Service’s Coconino National Forest and then worked as an engine crew member on the Fremont-Winema National Forest. In 2009, he joined the Shoshone National Forest as a lead forestry technician on an engine, and in 2010 detailed to the Asheville Interagency Hotshot Crew as a lead firefighter. He previously worked for the Bureau of Land Management on the Ruby Mountain Hotshot Crew.