Courage under fire

On April 9, firefighter David Milby turned to see a wall of fire coming straight for him.
He had just arrived to fight a fire off Route 66 near Wellston when his fire truck caught fire and his fellow passenger yelled at him to run. With his gear half on, he fled from the truck but soon realized his gear had melted off of him because of the flames, Milby said. All that was left was a cross around his neck that he is still wearing today.
Moments later, he suffered second- and third-degree burns on more than 25 percent of his body.
Milby remembers that at first he didn’t know he was burned but his injuries became clear as firefighters rushed to his aid and he was taken to the hospital, where he spent 46 days in the Intensive Care Unit.
On June 12, David returned to his home in Stillwater he shares with his wife of 20 years, Bonnie, and their dog, Tempest. He is in high spirits, telling jokes as he did for the doctors in the hospital.
A firefighter with the Iowa Tribe volunteer firefighters since its formation around 2001, David refers to his accident as being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. His wife agrees.
“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Bonnie said. “I’m convinced our prayer support kept (him) alive.”
The couple’s 20th anniversary passed while David was in ICU. Bonnie wears a beautiful necklace adorned with a cross charm and a diamond, signifying their 20-year union.
With the support of his community, doctors and family, Milby is recovering well and hopes to return to his job as a detention officer for the Iowa Tribe, as well as volunteering at the fire department by September.
“It’s difficult to see him in pain,” Bonnie said. “The recovery is just a day-to-day process.”
Milby and his wife go to Oklahoma City to visit his burn and wound doctor at least once a week, which is difficult because David cannot sit easily due to his burns, Bonnie said. A speech therapist, occupational therapist and nurse come to the Milby’s home to assist with David’s recovery and ensure he’s on a diet designed to help heal his burns.
The recovery process has left David “stir-crazy” and he says he’s ready to get back to work and fire fighting as soon as the doctors give him permission. In the meantime, he comes up with his own jokes and dotes on Tempest.
“I really don’t worry about David because of his experience and training,” Bonnie said, smiling at David. “He is always safe and cautious.”
The Iowa Tribe volunteer firefighter department, comprised of about 22 certified firefighters of Native American descent, is structured like any other department, said firefighter Lt. Eugene Big Soldier.
The day of Milby’s accident was very hectic and the conditions were unstable, Big Soldier said. The department was very worried about his condition and it greatly affected everyone. They even held off holding weekly meetings until they knew he was stable.
Milby is expected to share his story of what happened April 9 during a meeting at the department in the near future, Big Soldier said.
“Hopefully his incident can be used to teach less experienced firefighters about unstable, dangerous conditions,” Big Soldier said.
“When arriving at a large fire [like that day], it’s important to be aware of whom is in command and where they are located,” said Jeff Bahylle, an Iowa Tribe firefighter for the past nine months.
The Iowa Tribe volunteer firefighters never hesitate to provide mutual aid to surrounding departments in case of a large- scale fire, such as that day in Wellston. Milby recalls around 70 firefighters were at the scene to help from 15 different fire departments.
Soon David will return to fixing fire trucks and fighting fires, but for now he is thankful for the outreach and assistance from his community. With a smile on his face ready to fight the flames again, he hopes that time comes sooner than later.