In Memory of Jeff Allen and Shane Heath Fallen Firefighters

memorial statues of Jeff and Shane reppelling, visitors have placed flowers and American and Boise Sate flags at the site — Statues of Jeff Allen and Shane Heath near the Indianola Ranger Station in North Fork, Idaho

July 22, 2023 marks the 20-year anniversary of the deaths of Jeff Allen and Shane Heath, two firefighters and Boise State business students who tragically died fighting the Cramer Fire on the Salmon River Breaks in central Idaho.

Memorial plaque for Jeff Allen and Shane Heath hung on a large rock — This plaque is at the entrance to the Jeff Allen and Shane Heath memorial near the Indianola Ranger Station.

Born and raised in Idaho, Allen and Heath were classmates and friends who worked as seasonal firefighters during the summers. Both served as “heli-rappellers” – flying to fires burning in difficult or remote terrain and rappelling several hundred feet from a helicopter to fight fire on the ground.

In July 2003, Allen and Heath were working with the Indianola Helitack Crew out of Salmon, Idaho, and were called to the Cramer Fire near the Salmon River. They rappelled into the area to clear a landing and take-off spot for the helicopter and crew that would fight the fire. However, their position became compromised when the fire spread to the slope below them, causing the flames to overtake them before they could be extracted.

Although 20 years have passed since their deaths, their memories and legacies live on through their friends, families and all those whose lives they touched. The lessons learned from their deaths have been used to train new firefighters and help protect the crews that came after them.

markers under a tree at Riverfront Hall on Boise State campus, American flags placed by visitor — Memorial markers at Boise State University

The College of Business and Economics created a permanent memorial in 2004 for Allen and Heath in front of Riverfront Hall, where a tree and bronze plaques were planted in their honor.

location of Jeff and Shane's memorial plaques under a tree along the sidewalk between Riverfront Hall and the Quad — The location of Jeff and Shane’s memorial plaques is under a tree along the sidewalk between Riverfront Hall and the Quad at Boise State University.

See the Shane Heath and Jeff Allen memorial pages on National Fallen Firefighters Foundation site.

Learn more about the Cramer Fire in this video on YouTube and see heli-rapplers in action on the Salmon Air Base gallery.