A Kern County firefighter who was sent to help battle the now 5,370-acre Canyon Fire was hospitalized with major injuries after his pickup truck plunged off the side of a road Friday.
Officials confirmed to KTLA that the firefighter, whose identity was not immediately disclosed, was on the line of duty around 6:20 p.m. when the incident within an incident (IWI) occurred.
Preliminary reports indicate that the firefighter was driving a pickup truck in a remote and rugged area in Castaic, possibly on patrol for Canyon Fire hotspots or flare-ups. He was traversing along a ridgeline when his truck veered off of Romero Canyon Road and plummeted about 100-200 feet below, rolling over multiple times down the hillside.
Details are limited, but KTLA’s Chris Wolfe reported that the Kern County firefighter was possibly ejected from the truck during the violent plummet. Fire officials later confirmed that the crewmember suffered major injuries before paramedics airlifted him to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia.
As of Friday night, the firefighter was listed in stable condition, and an investigation into the rollover crash is underway.
“This case is just another example of how dangerous working in public safety can be,” reported Wolfe. Three other firefighters have purportedly also been injured while battling the Canyon Fire, though their injuries were said to be minor.
