Fireman - Locomotive

988 Loader caught fire, was unable to be extinguished by site personnel, 911 was called. Two fire crews arrived on site, one fireman approached the loader by the rear tire. The plant manager was yelling at them to get away from the tire. It exploded killing the fireman by the tire.

On June 14, 2024, at 2:08 p.m., Andrew Pontious, a 52 year-old firefighter, with 19 years of firefighting experience, died while fighting a fire on a front-end loader. The front-end loader’s left rear tire exploded, and the force struck the firefighter. The accident occurred because Pontious was approximately four feet from the tire when a combustion explosion occurred. The fire on the front-end loader heated the tire and caused a buildup of flammable gases inside the tire, which were ignited. Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) issued a report, LAC 24-203895, which designated this as a line of duty death.

Read the full report (PDF)

Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.

Activity at time of incident

Other, Nec

Subunit / location

STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT

Accident type

Struck by... (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Source of injury

WHEEL-FROM CAR OR TRUCK

Nature of injury

MULTIPLE INJURIES

Body part affected

MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)

Experience in this job

19 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY