SEATTLE – Friday marks one year since three firefighters were killed in Okanogan County. One firefighter, Daniel Lyon, managed to escape but suffered severe burns.
“If we can hopefully save a life from this kind of loss then that is the only good thing that comes out of it at this point,” said Lyon.
Daniel has been down a painful path ever since the Twisp River fire.
"I always associate an anniversary with marriage or celebrating something really good, and so for me, I definitely don't call it that because it is a harsh reminder of what happened," said Lyon
He was involved in a firefighting accident and caught in the middle of out of control flames on August 19, 2015. The Washington Department of Natural Resources determined the fire started after a tree branch hit a powerline, caught fire and fell to the ground.
“All I knew was that he was in critical condition, and I heard about his friends that didn't make it,” said girlfriend Megan Lanfear.
Firefighters Richard Wheeler, Andrew Zajac and Tom Zbyszewski were killed.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of them," said Lyon, who suffered severe burns on 65 percent of his body. "You know people can't see at night the emotional stuff that you go through or the mental stuff to go through."
Staying focused on his goals has helped him.
"My dream is to be a police officer," said Lyon.
Before the accident, he was a reserve officer at the Milton Police Department. He will be able to wear his uniform on Saturday. The city selected him to be the Grand Marshal of its annual parade.
“I think to a lot of people, they think it is just a uniform, it is just a piece of fabric. But for me, this is kind of the lifestyle I like to live for,” said Lyon.
Daniel used to live in Puyallup, but after the accident he moved to Montana to live with his parents. They are helping him with his recovery, which requires physical therapy five days a week. He has been receiving treatment at UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview. He says he's already undergone 13 surgeries, and has another one next week.
