Eight Southern California firefighters were injured, some critically, in a rollover crash on a freeway Thursday night while returning to the station after battling a wildfire.
IRVINE, Calif. – Eight Southern California firefighters were injured, some critically, in a rollover crash on a freeway Thursday night while returning to the station after battling a wildfire.
The Orange County Fire Authority responded to the single-vehicle wreck on State Route 241 near the Tomato Springs Toll Plaza in Irvine just before 7 p.m. Thursday. The department’s hand crew members inside the overturned fire truck had just completed a 12-hour shift battling the 23,000-acre Airport Fire, according to Fire Chief Brian Fennessy.
“It’s a tough time for the Orange County Fire Authority family,” Fennessy said during a news conference. “We’ve suffered a major accident that has injured many of our firefighters.”
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Authorities said one of the eight injured firefighters needed to be airlifted from the scene. Six of the firefighters are believed to have sustained serious injuries, including some in critical condition.
“You can only imagine how traumatic it is for their brother and sister firefighters to see them injured like that on the freeway,” Fennessy said.
The fire truck is believed to have been involved in the crash after swerving to avoid a ladder on the road, according to FOX 11 in Los Angeles. During the earlier stages of the investigation, the California Highway Patrol initially thought the vehicle was an ambulance.
“This is the beginning of a long road for many of those firefighters and our fire department,” Fennessy added.
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The fire truck that is believed to have been involved in the crash after swerving to avoid a ladder on the road.
(FOX 11)
The Airport Fire, which spans Orange and Riverside counties, has been a challenging battle for firefighters.
Fennessy said ground crews have worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames and mitigate hazards, while aerial support has provided crucial assistance. The area’s terrain has been extremely dangerous, but firefighters remain committed to containing the fire within its current boundaries.