Luke Sheehy – a “genuine” guy

Luke Sheehy could never get enough action.  He was active from the start. Whether it was hunting, fishing, dirt biking, motorcycling, snowmobiling, mountain biking, road bikes, logging or general overall fitness, he enjoyed it all.  His biggest passion was smokejumping which he started in 2009 for the U.S. Forest Service Smokejumpers based out of Redding, Calif.

The 28-year-old firefighter from Susanville, Calif. died June 10 as a result of injuries received on a wildfire on the Modoc National Forest in northeast California. Sheehy was struck by a falling portion of a tree on the Saddle Back Fire in the South Warner Wilderness about 15 miles southeast of Alturas, Calif.

Sheehy excelled in the smokejumper program due to his candor and work ethic, was a key part of rookie training for smokejumpers and was an integral part of the Region 5 program.

“His love of life and love for the people around him made him easy to be around,” said Josh Mathiesen, fellow smokejumper.  “These qualities allowed him to excel at whatever adventure he decided to tackle. He was extremely family-oriented and selfless. To sum Luke up in one word, he was: genuine.”

Sheehy was not one to be boxed in.  In addition to his active lifestyle he enjoyed playing numerous musical instruments.

“Put me in a box, I will just kick my way out of it,” fellow smokejumper Joe Maggio reported Luke saying.

“He was genetically designed to be a smokejumper.  He was the only guy driving a Cummings diesel with Simon and Garfunkel coming out of the window.”

In addition to being a smokejumper with the U.S. Forest Service, Sheehy previously worked for the Diamond Mountain Hotshots with the Bureau of Land Management and as a firefighter for CAL FIRE.

Luke attended Susanville High School and received a certificate from the Shasta College Fire Academy.  He is survived by his parents – Doug and Lynn Sheehy of Susanville, Calif.

The above was contributed by the U.S. Forest Service