After OC firefighters were injured in an accident, other counties in Southern California are sending teams to help

Two counties in Southern California are sending fire crews to Orange County after eight firefighters were injured in an accident on State Route 241, most of whom are still hospitalized.

About three dozen firefighters from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties will travel to Orange County to assist. the airport firethe devastating fire that destroyed homes and injured several people as it burned through Orange and Riverside counties. OC firefighters returned from a 12-hour shift They were battling the forest fire when the accident occurred on Thursday evening.

The fire truck swerved to avoid a ladder in the middle of the highway, then struck a guardrail and overturned, according to the California Highway Patrol. One of the firefighters was flown out by helicopter, and the others were taken by ambulance to nearby trauma centers.

As of Friday morning, six of them were still in hospital, said OCFA chief Brian Hennessey, one of them in critical condition. “Many of the injured will remain in hospital for quite some time,” he said.

While the wounded firefighters were being treated, Hennessey met with their families that night and spoke with his fellow firefighters.

“When I spoke to the crews last night, it was obvious they are in a difficult situation right now,” he said. “We got them off the fire front. They will spend time with their family. They will have time to visit with other firefighters. They will get the time they need.”

All of the men injured in the crash are members of the Orange County Fire Authority's Santiago Handcrew, which has a total of 20 firefighters who typically work 10-hour days but sometimes work 24-hour shifts. Their job is to clear flammable brush and other terrain that ignites and fuels wildfires, tackling “extremely steep, extremely inaccessible terrain” that even machines like bulldozers can't reach, Fennessey said. “It's extremely strenuous work,” he said.

Now the fire departments of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are sending their own emergency responders there.

“I would like to thank the Ventura and Santa Barbara county fire departments who have deployed their firefighters to Orange County to replace our firefighters who are currently out of service,” Fennessey said Friday.

Scott Safechuck, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, said his agency would send a crew of about 16 men, while the Ventura County Fire Department would send a crew of about 20 men.

According to Fennessey, the Santiago hand crew has been assigned to the fire since the airport fire broke out on Sept. 9. The wildfire is one of three massive fires that have raged across four Southern California counties this month, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes and burning a total of more than 40,000 acres of land in less than a week.

Fifteen people, including 13 firefighters, were injured in the airport fire, which left a trail of devastation. more than 80 houses on the ground.

But firefighters have made great progress in the last few days. The forest fire is now more than 50% contained. A great step forward in which small arms have played a crucial role. They are working through rough terrain to create and secure a firebreak. This prevents the fire from spreading further, as it is a perimeter that the flames cannot overcome. The OCFA has two small arms.

Fennessey said the members of these teams are “typically younger, extremely physically fit and very well trained.”

“You probably won't see anyone my age in a hand-held fire department,” the fire chief said. “This job requires the crew to be extremely physically fit. They are exposed to unusual temperatures and conditions. They train very, very hard.”

With wildfires having ravaged more than 399,450 acres of land so far this year, Fennessey said Santiago Handcrew firefighters are working hard as they also respond to areas outside of Orange County.

“We are very proud of them and they have been hard-working all year long – across the state of California,” he said.

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To help injured firefighters in Orange County, visit the OC Professional Firefighters Association website.