Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Agencies Try Hard to Stop Suicides of Wildland Firefighters
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
July 15, 2019

Share

BOISE, Idaho — Shane Del Grosso spent some 30 summers crossing smoke-shrouded mountains and forests to fight increasingly devastating wildfires in the U.S. West.
Toward the end, his skills and experience propelled him to lead a federal multi-agency team that responded to large-scale national disasters. On some days he directed a thousand firefighters and helped coordinate aircraft attacks on massive blazes.

“I always thought that you’d see it coming, but I guess you don’t. It was maybe that male bravado firefighter thing where you don’t talk about what’s bothering you.” — Noel Matson, who worked in the same U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office as Shane Del Grosso
But then came the long offseason lacking the shared-risk camaraderie. Isolation closed in, his family said, along with marital problems that can be exacerbated by first-responder jobs that require missed family events and birthdays.
Del Grosso, 50, killed himself May 9, 2016, not long before the start of another wildfire season.
“I always thought that you’d see it coming, but I guess you don’t,” said his best friend, Noel Matson, who worked and fought wildfires out of the same U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Huron, South Dakota, as Del Grosso. “It was maybe that male bravado firefighter thing where you don’t talk about what’s bothering you.”
Federal officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise have started making efforts to change that mindset after noticing an increase in wildland firefighter suicides in recent years.
“It’s not a profession where people want to reach out for help because they are the help,” said Jessica Gardetto, a fire center spokeswoman and former wildland firefighter. “The federal agencies have realized, whether it’s suicidal tendencies or just overall mental health, it’s a resource that needs to be available — even out on the fire lines.”

Reasons for Rise in Suicides Unclear

No figures on wildland firefighter suicides are available because federal agencies often track only fatalities that occur during work hours, and families don’t always release a cause of death.
But Gardetto said the wildland firefighting community is small, “and word spreads quickly.” Anecdotal reports suggest many of the suicides are happening outside the wildfire season. A month ago, she said, a U.S. Forest Service firefighter based in the U.S. Southwest killed himself. And she said several suicides occurred in Idaho in 2017. One of those was a Boise-based U.S. Bureau of Land Management smokejumper, a firefighter who jumps from airplanes.
Reasons for the rise are unclear, though some cite longer and tougher wildfire seasons and an increase in the number of wildland firefighters who previously served in the military and were already dealing with post-traumatic stress.
In the past several years, the National Interagency Fire Center has bolstered a program that teaches coping skills and offers one-on-one crisis intervention to firefighters dealing with trauma and other issues. Federal agencies also have increased efforts to make firefighters aware that help is available.
It’s unclear what kind of help Del Grosso was receiving. His family learned after his death that he’d been diagnosed with PTSD.
“Obviously he couldn’t escape whatever demons were haunting him. And that breaks your heart,” said his older sister, Stacey Chaney.
Throughout Del Grosso’s career with different agencies, his family tracked news reports hoping to get a glimpse of him at work. It was easier after he rose through the ranks to become an incident commander, a job in which he often spoke at news conferences.

Photo of firefighter memorial stones
Memorial stones at the Wildland Firefighters Monument at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler)

Hurricane Katrina Might Have Taken the Biggest Toll

He also sent thousands of wildland firefighters into burning forests, and they trusted him to get them out again.

“I think that’s where a lot of his problems started. Seeing all that death, all that loss, all that death and dying. There were so many people that needed so much, and he couldn’t do it.” — Sharalyn Del Grosso, Shane Del Grosso’s mother 
“He relished his role as incident commander,” said Matson, Del Grosso’s friend and colleague. “He worked well with people and knew just about every position, and everybody respected that.”
Friends and family say Hurricane Katrina might have taken the most out of Del Grosso.
He told them it was the worst disaster he’d ever been assigned, but left out the details. Nearly 2,000 people died in the 2005 hurricane and its aftermath, and parts of New Orleans were destroyed.
“I think that’s where a lot of his problems started,” said his mother, Sharalyn Del Grosso. “Seeing all that death, all that loss, all that death and dying. There were so many people that needed so much, and he couldn’t do it. That need of wanting to fix it, to do more, to make it better.”
Del Grosso is one of the highest-ranking firefighters to have his name placed on a memorial stone at the Wildland Firefighters Monument at the federally managed fire center in Idaho. The monument honors some 400 firefighters killed by flames, falling trees, vehicle mishaps, airplane crashes, and heart attacks.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

DON'T MISS

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

DON'T MISS

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

DON'T MISS

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

DON'T MISS

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

DON'T MISS

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

UP NEXT

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

UP NEXT

Abundance Meets Resistance: Are CA Dems Finally Ready to Go All In on Building Housing?

UP NEXT

Less Than Half of Californians Think K-12 Schools Are on the Right Track: Poll

UP NEXT

On Major Economic Decisions, Trump Blinks, and Then Blinks Again

UP NEXT

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

UP NEXT

Survey: Californians Blame Utility Company Spending, Profits for High Electricity Rates

UP NEXT

Chicago Bears Great Steve McMichael Dies at 67 After Battle With ALS

UP NEXT

Long Wait Is Over for Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Other Draft Prospects Joining the NFL

UP NEXT

Golden State’s Jimmy Butler Injured in Game 2 Loss, His Status for Game 3 Unknown

UP NEXT

Jalen Green Makes Eight 3s to Help Rockets Even Series With Warriors

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

49 minutes ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

53 minutes ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

1 hour ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

1 hour ago

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

1 hour ago

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

2 hours ago

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

2 hours ago

US Universities Help Foreign Students Weather Trump Deportations

2 hours ago

Alphabet Says Waymo May Offer Robotaxis for Personal Ownership in Future

2 hours ago

US Pharma Tariffs Would Raise US Drug Costs by $51 Billion Annually, Report Finds

2 hours ago

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. Congress plan to introduce a sweeping $150 billion defense package that will give an in...

25 minutes ago

A Lockheed Martin Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor is seen during the third annual "Made in America Product Showcase" on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 15, 2019. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
25 minutes ago

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

A general view shows container terminal in Hong Kong, China, April 23, 2025. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo)
32 minutes ago

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group chief executive Brian Thompson, appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on New York state murder and terrorism charges in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2025. (Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)
38 minutes ago

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass against Central Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP File)
49 minutes ago

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

53 minutes ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

1 hour ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP File)
1 hour ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

A Fresno man was arrested in Kerman on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, after allegedly driving recklessly, resisting arrest, and showing signs of being under the influence, police said. (Kerman PD)
1 hour ago

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend