Assistant to the Deputy Warden Sandra JoAnn Bachman

Sandra JoAnn Bachman

Assistant to the Deputy Warden Sandra Bachman was killed in a wildfire while overseeing prisoners who were detailed as a firefighting crew.

The crew had been deployed to a large wildfire in the Tonto National Forest near Payson, Arizona. They were overtaken by the a fire storm and suffered severe smoke inhalation. Assistant Bachman and five inmates died as a result. Several other inmates and firefighters suffered severe injuries.

Assistant Bachman had served with the Arizona Department of Corrections for seven years and was assigned to the San Pedro Unit at Perryville. She was survived by her mother, sister, and grandmother.