One of the two volunteer firefighters who were burned last month while battling a wildfire in the Oklahoma panhandle has died.
"It is with heavy heart and many tears that we share this news," said Western Oklahoma Fire Coverage in a Facebook post. "Jason Smith, the Balko firefighter, has succumbed to his injuries received from the rollover crash that he was involved in last month. Please lift his family and friends up in prayer. He gave the ultimate sacrifice as a firefighter."
Please lift his family and friends up in prayer. He gave the ultimate sacrifice as a firefighter.
Smith and Tyler Morris were burned April 5 when their truck rolled over in a ditch.
The two were helping fight the Beaver River Fire in Beaver County.
They were treated in the burn unit at University Medical Center in Lubbock.
"Together they fought, and together they will continue to fight," said Ashley Morris Lehnert, Tyler's sister, on April 7. "Besties until they are both healed."
Smith was released from the hospital on April 19.
"We were ready to go to surgery today when the team of doctors conferred and made a different decision," said Jason's wife, Amy, on April 18. "They decided that it would be beneficial to wait on surgery for now and monitor our progress. The areas that they are most concerned about are areas that don’t involve functionality. So, now we are trying to get organized and learn wound care so we can GO HOME!!!!"
Smith had a checkup on April 27 and his wife said "everything looks positive."
They were supposed to go back for a follow-up this week.
Amy's sister, Candie, is now asking people to pray for Amy and her daughters.
David Vaughn, a Balko resident who posted video of Smith's escort home, said "I just don’t know how many more absolute gut punches this little community can take."
The community rallied around both families.
A Balko native who runs a printing company near Oklahoma City created t-shirts with the victim's names on them. Over 500 were sold with 100% of the proceeds going to the injured firefighters.