Six firefighters from the Santiago-Orange County Fire Department were hospitalized Friday morning after their vehicle crashed on Route 241 while returning from a fire at the airport, authorities said.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash occurred around 6:40 p.m. Thursday on Interstate 241 North when his vehicle swerved to avoid a staircase and spun several times. Eight firefighters were completing their 12-hour shift at the airport fire when the incident occurred.
The Airport Fire first broke out Sept. 9 on Trabuco Creek Road near the RC runway and by Friday morning had grown to 23,519 acres. It is now 51% covered.
Seven of the eight passengers were transported by ground ambulance and a helicopter, according to Orange County Fire Chief Brian Hennessy, who spoke at a news conference Friday. Six people were taken to local trauma centers: two to Orange County Global Medical Center, three to Mission Hospital and one to UC Irvine.
“It’s devastating for me personally and for all of the Orange County Fire Department personnel,” Hennessy said.
Two other firefighters were hospitalized in stable condition at Hoag Hospital in Irvine and released Thursday night, Hennessey said. Six other trauma center firefighters were in varying conditions, from moderate to serious. The UC Irvine firefighter was expected to be released soon.
“Four of the eight were injured more seriously than the others,” Hennessy said.
Humberto Sari, a physician at Orange County Global Medical Center, said at a news conference that both firefighters were in intensive care at his hospital Friday morning. One is in serious but stable condition and the other remains in critical condition.
