Injured forest firefighter making progress

Daniel Lyon, the injured forest firefighter from Puyallup, was upgraded to serious condition but remained in intensive care Saturday night at the University of Washington Burn Center at Harborview.

Hospital officials said he was alert and breathing on his own after two successful burn surgeries. More surgery is planned next week. Lyon, 25, is also a reserve police officer in Milton.

He was the sole survivor of a fire truck crash that happened while he and three others were battling a wild fire near Twisp in Eastern Washington. The accident killed the three other members of the crew who were in the truck with Lyon.

Lyon’s family on Saturday issued a statement honoring the three: “Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the fallen fire fighters Andrew Zajac, Rick Wheeler and Tommy Zbyszewski. Prior to this tragedy, Daniel spoke very highly of them. He was very proud to be part of a team doing such important work in protecting communities and saving lives.”

The family statement said Lyon was continuing to progress, and family members thanked the public for their support.

Lyon suffered third-degree burns over more than half his body.

This story was originally published August 29, 2015 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Injured forest firefighter making progress."