A FIREFIGHTER has died while working a colossal wildfire burning in coastal mountains north-west of Los Angeles that has become the fourth largest in California history.
Cory Iverson was an engineer with a state fire engine strike team based in San Diego. Iverson, 32, is survived by his pregnant wife and a two-year-old daughter. Iverson had been with the state since 2009.
Fire Chief Ken Pimlott of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection did not provide any details about the death but said it was under investigation by an accident review team.
He said he was “deeply saddened” by Iverson’s death but added that fire crews were continuing to focus on their mission.
“The firefight in front of us continues to go on. The communities we are protecting are depending on us and we will not fail,” he said yesterday.
Dozens of police and fire vehicles escorted a hearse carrying Iverson’s flag-draped body to the county medical examiner’s office in Ventura.
It was the second death linked to the fire. A 70-year-old woman was killed in a car crash while evacuating as the fire raged last week. Her body was found inside the wrecked car along an evacuation route.
A return of gusty Santa Ana winds has brought renewed activity to inland portions of the so-called Thomas Fire straddling coastal Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
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