Firefighter dies after jumping fence in Mississippi May 28, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) — A wildland firefighter fell to his death after jumping a fence in Natchez and landing 100 feet below. Natchez Police Department Cmdr. Scott Frye said Evan Batson, 34, worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a traveling fireman. He was with co-workers when the incident occurred Wednesday night near the Bridge of Sighs on the Natchez Bluff, news outlets reported. Lawrence Lujan, a spokesman for the USDA Forest Service, said in an emailed statement that the agency was saddened to confirm Batson's death. He said Batson was assigned to San Juan National Forest's Columbine Fire Module and was in Mississippi helping with prescribed fire activities.