SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement regarding the death of United States Forest Service Firefighter Luke Sheehy:
“Anne and I were saddened to learn of the death of Firefighter Luke Sheehy, a young man who devoted his life to protecting his fellow Californians. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.”
Firefighter Luke Sheehy, 28, of Susanville, was fatally injured by a section of a falling tree at the scene of a lightning-sparked wildland fire in the Modoc National Forest 15 miles southeast of the community of Alturas.
Firefighter Sheehy was a member of the California Smokejumpers, an airborne firefighting unit of the United States Forest Service based in Redding, California. Prior to his career with the United States Forest Service, he served 5 seasons as a firefighter for CAL FIRE.
In honor of Firefighter Sheehy, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.