Firefighter is in a coma after a truck crash that injured seven others on the California Highway

Eight firefighters were injured in an accident in California. One of them is in a coma and fighting for his life.

During a press conference on Friday, September 20th, Orange County Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy announced that firefighters were involved in an accident while returning from assisting the airport fire that occurred on Monday, September 9th , began and is not yet fully completed, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The firefighters – members of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3631 – were returning to the command post after helping fight the blaze on Thursday, September 19, when their truck overturned on northbound State Route 241 around 6:50 a.m Clock

The Orange County Fire Authority website explains that a handcrew member's primary job is to perform “hazardous fuel reduction and wildfire suppression projects.”

“On days with a high fire risk, the emergency services are often called upon to provide 24-hour care and can spend more than 14 days at a time on fire operations indoors and outdoors [the] District,” the website says.

Fennessy said workers had just finished a 12-hour shift when the “sole rollover accident” occurred.

According to the chief, two of the eight firefighters were taken to local hospitals and released that night, and six were taken to local trauma centers in “stable to critical” conditions.

While the incident remains under investigation, friends and family identified one of the injured firefighters as Matthew Nichols.

“He is currently in a coma, fighting for his life, while his wife Carissa stands by his side every day, dealing with a reality that no one could have prepared for,” reads a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Nichols' family and friends.

According to the fundraiser, Nichols is the father of a six-month-old son named Theodore.

“Matthew has always been a protector, both of his family and his community. Now it’s our turn to support him and his loved ones,” the campaign says, noting that donations “will help ease Carissa’s financial burden.”

On Tuesday, September 24, the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3631, also shared on Facebook a link to the Fallen Fire Fighter Relief Fund, which provides “financial support to career firefighters, firefighter families and charities throughout the state of California.”

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In addition, the organization has launched a separate GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the eight injured firefighters. As of this writing, the fundraiser has raised over $312,000.