Smokejumper had fallen while traveling back from Southeast wildfire

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Firefighter/Smokejumper Ray Rubio, 52, of the Redmond Smokejumpers – Redmond Air Center, Deschutes National Forest on December 19, 2016.

Firefighter/Smokejumper Ray Rubio passed away in the Grandview Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, from injuries he suffered in a fall on November 23, 2016. Rubio, a Smokejumper (RAC 95) with the Redmond Air Center (RAC) – Deschutes National Forest, had been assigned to the Southeast during an outbreak of multiple large fires in the region. Firefighter Rubio was reported to have been in travel status on his way home to Oregon and staying overnight in Birmingham at the time of his injury.

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter/Smokejumper Rubio at http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/

To date, 85 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2016.  Year-to-date and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/ff_fatality_reports.html

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.