Butler Firefighter Injured Again Seeks Funds for Medical Care

A Firefighter’s Struggle for Medical Care After a Tree Strike

A recent incident during the Butler Fire has left three firefighters injured, with one of them now facing ongoing challenges in accessing medical care. The event occurred on July 18 when a tree fell on a firefighter, resulting in serious injuries that required airlifting to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, California. This firefighter, part of the U.S. Forest Service, is now dealing with what appears to be nerve damage, which has significantly impacted his daily life.

The GoFundMe page, created by Leticia Limon Ruiz, highlights the struggles her husband has faced since the accident. “My husband was injured while fighting the Butler Fire in the Klamath National Forest as a Hotshot firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service,” she stated. “A tree fell and struck his right arm, and he was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Redding, CA, and has since returned home.”

Despite returning home, the family has encountered numerous obstacles in securing the necessary medical attention. “Since then, we’ve been trying to get him the care he needs for the past three weeks. He has limited movement and dexterity in his arm — likely nerve damage — but we’ve hit roadblocks at every turn,” Limon Ruiz explained. “We’ve submitted everything, followed every step and still — no care.”

This situation has not only affected the firefighter physically but also emotionally. “He’s served his community bravely, risking his life in dangerous conditions to protect life, property and natural resources. Now, he’s home, in pain and unable to get proper medical attention,” she added.

Alejandro Ruiz, the firefighter involved, is part of the El Cariso Hotshots crew, an inter-agency team that includes U.S. Forest Service employees from Cleveland National Forest in Southern California. The Butler Fire, which covers 21,058 acres and is 94% contained, has been a significant challenge for the crews involved.

“Those are some of our more elite firefighters that go out and do on-the-line suppression work,” said Nathan Judy, a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson. “And those folks get inserted, whether by air or hiking in (to incidents) such as the Butler Fire. Access is really limited, so they had to hike in multiple hours to get to the fire line itself or be flown in and dropped off.”

Another firefighter, Renzo Reginato, was also seriously injured in the same incident. He suffered severe injuries, including a broken tibia and fibula and a life-changing traumatic spinal injury. A GoFundMe was launched for him as well, aiming to cover long-term travel, temporary relocation, lodging, meals, and other critical resources.

The El Cariso Hotshots shared their support for the Ruiz family on social media, stating, “You’re in all of our prayers, Ruiz; stay strong brother. Only your best will do!”

The GoFundMe created for Alejandro Ruiz aims to cover out-of-pocket costs for evaluations, therapy, treatment, and life expenses. “All proceeds will go directly toward helping him heal and supporting our family through this difficult time,” Limon Ruiz noted.

“We’re a family of five — my husband, myself, our two young boys and our daughter,” she said. “This injury has deeply impacted all of us. Our kids miss the dad who used to wrestle with them, play outside and make them laugh. I’ve watched him struggle physically and emotionally while trying to stay strong for our family. We just want him to get the care he deserves so he can heal and be present with us again.”

Donations can be made to the family at https://tinyurl.com/5bzj8nyf.

The Times-Standard reached out to Leticia Limon Ruiz and to Kaiser Permanente to learn more about this story; neither could be reached for comment at the time of publication.