MELANTHIA MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE (AP) -- Jason Emhoff's burning hands probably saved his life.

Emhoff was the leader of a five-member crew fighting an Okanogan National Forest wildfire Tuesday night when the fire exploded, trapping the group in a ravine with only their emergency shelters to protect them from the onrushing flames.

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But Emhoff's hands were burning because he had taken off his gloves earlier in the day, and he left his so-called ``shake and bake'' shelter to run for the nearest firetruck, Emhoff's father said Wednesday.

Emhoff, who was in serious but stable condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Wednesday, could lose his hands, doctors said. His crewmembers, who stayed behind, wrapped in the makeshift tents, perished as the flames overtook them.

Jason Emhoff, a 21-year-old Yakima native, suffered burns over 25 percent of his body, including his face, legs and torso. His hands had ``full-thickness burns'' which will require skin grafts and plastic surgery, Director of Harborview Burn Center Dr. David Heimbach told a news conference.

``We'll do our best to make them normal,'' Heimbach said. ``We're going to do our very best to try and avoid (amputation), but there is that possibility.''

Steve Emhoff said his son took his gloves off before the fire unexpectedly turned on his crew and trapped them.

As the flames, driven up the valley by wind and dry conditions, shot toward the firefighters, Steve Emhoff said most of the firefighters were able to drive to safety.

But his son's crew couldn't make it out. They ran for a nearby river, finally deploying emergency fire shelters as the flames engulfed them.

``He did exactly what he was trained to do,'' Steve Emhoff said.

It was the worst loss of life since 14 firefighters were killed near Glenwood Springs, Colo., on July 6, 1994.