Multiple firefighters were injured in a major crash in California, after responding to a nearby wildfire.
At least eight firefighters were injured in a crash involving a firetruck, local law enforcement officials said.
In a press conference on Friday morning, Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said that firefighters experienced a “rollover accident” near “northbound 241, just north of Portola.”
The vehicle was carrying a ground crew after a grueling 12-hour shift battling the Airport Fire in Orange County when it hit a ladder in the road, causing the truck to swerve into a guardrail and overturn, according to Fennessy.
One firefighter was airlifted, while others were taken to hospitals by ambulance, authorities said.
“All of our crews that were involved are going through a formal critical incident stress debriefing at our headquarters right now,” Fennessy said. “You can only imagine how traumatic it is for their brother and sister firefighter to see them injured like that on the freeway.”
Only the ruins of a house burnt by the Airport Fire remain in the village of El Cariso near Lake Elsinore, California, Sept. 12, 2024. Southeast of Los Angeles, the Airport Fire continued to grow on Sept. 11, racing through vegetation and damaging several homes. On Sept. 19, 2024, the Orange County Fire Authority announced that a “rollover accident” left several firefighters injured.
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“My staff, the Orange County Professional Firefighters 3631, will be here for the families, will be here for the firefighters. We ask that you pray for our firefighters and their families. All of their families have been notified and this is the beginning of a long road for many of those firefighters and our fire department,” Fennessy said, noting that further information would be released in the next few hours.
In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, the Orange County Fire Authority described the current conditions of the Airport Fire, which first started on September 9.
“The #AirportFire has grown to 23,519 acres, spanning both Orange and Riverside Counties. The efforts of firefighters on both the ground and in the air are a testament to their dedication in protecting the communities impacted by the fire,” the Orange County Fire Authority said in one post.
“Ground crews have worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames and mitigate hazards, while aerial support has bolstered and supported those efforts.”
In another post, the Orange County Fire Authority said that current terrain conditions are “dangerous and challenging” but noted that firefighters continue to work to contain the fire “and ensure it remains within its current boundaries.”
According to Cal Fire, the Airport Fire is currently burning in the “Trabuco Canyon and Rose Canyon, Trabuco Canyon.”
Cal Fire also said that an evacuation order is currently in place, telling residents that “there is an immediate threat to life.”
“This is an order by law enforcement to leave immediately. The area is lawfully closed to public access,” the evacuation order says.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
