Montana firefighter, 19, killed by falling tree

(Updates with comments from forest spokesman)

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) – Authorities say a 19-year-old firefighter has died after being struck by a falling tree while responding to a small blaze in western Montana.
 
Missoula County sheriff’s officials say Trenton Johnson of Missoula died from his injuries Wednesday afternoon in a hospital.
 
Johnson worked for a Merlin, Oregon-based private firefighting contractor called Grayback Forestry Inc.
 
Grayback officials said in a statement that Johnson was part of a 20-person attack crew responding to a fire in the Lolo National Forest.
 
Forest spokesman Boyd Hartwig says the lightning-caused fire was burning about a half-acre near Florence Lake, about 9 miles northeast of Seeley Lake.
 
Hartwig says the Grayback crew was called in Wednesday afternoon to help U.S. Forest Service firefighters.
 
He says the Grayback crew has been pulled off the fire.