Local firefighter injuried battling Emigrant Fire

Submitted photo##Chris Stash, an eight-year veteran of the Zigzag Interagency Hotshot Crew, was severely injured earlier this month while on an operation when a tree fell on him.

West Valley resident Chris Stash was struck by a tree on Sept. 8, during operations to suppress the Emigrant Fire in the Willamette National Forest, requiring immediate extraction by helicopter.

Stash has been part of the Zigzag Interagency Hotshot Crew for eight years, according to a GoFundMe page raising money to cover lost income and help his family cover expenses.

“As a wildland firefighter on a hotshot crew, he faces arduous physical work, day by day, all summer long,” according to the page organized by Kyle Baxter. “He has worked on the crew for eight years, always holding himself to the highest standard. In his role as a squad leader, he leads by example and always has a smile on his face. Anyone who has spent five minutes with Stash knows how genuine a person he is and how much he enjoys hunting and the outdoors. He is an individual whose personality shines bright in any situation.”

Stash graduated from Sheridan High School in 2011.

The GoFundMe campaign has raised about $53,000 of the stated $60,000 goal. Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/hotshot-chriss-stash-recovery-fund.