Cal/OSHA Fines Guide Firm Over Deadly Sierra Avalanche That Killed Nine
California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health proposed $151,300 in fines against Blackbird Mountain Guides for seven serious and willful violations tied to a Sierra avalanche that killed nine people.[1]
Cal/OSHA said the violations include failing to provide adequate risk-assessment training, failing to identify avalanche hazards, and exposing guides to imminent avalanche danger despite official high-danger warnings.[1] The agency said it made the findings this week and classified the violations as serious and willful.[1]
In February 2026, 15 skiers on a Blackbird Mountain Guides trip left a hut at Frog Lake near Truckee during a historic storm.[1] A resulting avalanche in forested terrain buried 13 skiers and killed nine people, including six clients and three guides.[1]
Officials and survivors have questioned route choices and the decision to travel through avalanche terrain while warnings were at high danger, matters Cal/OSHA cited in its proposed penalties.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- In February 2026, 15 skiers on a Blackbird Mountain Guides trip left a hut at Frog Lake near Truckee, California, during a historic storm.
- A resulting avalanche in forested terrain buried 13 skiers and killed nine people, including six clients and three guides.
- The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health said this week it found seven serious and willful violations and proposed $151,300 in fines against Blackbird Mountain Guides.
- Cited violations include failing to provide adequate risk assessment training, failing to identify avalanche hazards, and failing to protect guides from the imminent hazard of traveling through avalanche terrain despite official high-danger warnings.
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