<< Back 8/28/02 Firefighter injured while in Oregon SMN Firefighter Carly Pearson, 26, from Maryville, Tenn., sustained a serious back injury while on assignment at the Umpqua Fire Complex in Oregon Saturday, Aug. 17. She was on temporary detail from Great Smoky Mountains National Park to assist in the interagency wildland fire suppression activities in the western states. Pearson was dispatched from the Smokies to Umpqua National Forest as a helicopter manager to help suppress what is now a 69,000-acre fire. The Umpqua National Forest is 30 miles southeast of Roseburg, Ore. Pearson’s injury occurred when she fell onto a rocky riverbank. She was transported to the Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Oregon, where she underwent extensive back surgery to support three fractured vertebrae in her lower back. She will remain at the hospital for about a week before she returns to Tennessee. “We feel terrible over this tragic accident and feel personal concern over her injury and circumstances,’ said Mike Tollefson, park superintendent. “Unfortunately, accidents can happen at any time, whether on the fire line, en route, or at the fire camp. We understand that she is getting exceptional care and receiving great support from the hospital, the community, and those she worked with.” It was reported that there are more than 200 new fires that began across the nation recently, five of which became large fires in California, Idaho and New Mexico. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.