Okanogan County Firefighter Severely Injured, Remains In Coma At Seattle Hospital
READ ON
A Washington firefighter was badly burned over the Labor Day weekend while fighting a small brush fire in Okanogan County. He’s currently in a medically induced coma at a Seattle hospital.
Christian Johnson was helping fight a brush fire when he suffered second- and third-degree burns over more than half of his body. Johnson is the assistant fire chief with Okanogan County Fire District 3.
He was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where doctors are working to stabilize him before they can perform skin grafts. His airway was also damaged. He was listed in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Johnson was fighting the Spring Coulee Fire. It burned for about an hour and a half on Sunday and has now been contained. The Washington Department of Natural Resources is investigating the cause.
Last summer, volunteer Okanogan County firefighter Brett Read was injured while helping to put out the large Grass Valley Fire near Grand Coulee. In 2015, firefighters Rick Wheeler, Andrew Zajac and Tom Zbyszewski were killed and Daniel Lyon was badly injured near Twisp in Okanogan County.
Related Stories:
Firefighters voice frustrations over struggling Tacoma city budget
The City of Tacoma has a budget problem; its expenses are higher than its revenue. That means the city has a projected structural deficit of $24 million for the 2025-26 biennial budget.
Staff and city council members have been working to balance that, and one thing they’re proposing cutting has a lot of community members upset.
Gwen Fire rages across North Idaho wine country
The Gwen Fire has burned nearly 30,000 acres in the Clearwater Canyon near Juliaetta so far. In this photo taken July 31, 2024, the Rivaura Estate Vineyard and Winery can
Memorial in Olympia for firefighters in the works with bill passage
Supporters of the bill, including lawmakers who are firefighters, gathered this week in Olympia to highlight the success of the bill’s passage. (Credit: Lauren Gallup / NWPB) Listen (Runtime :55)
