Highway Crash Injures 8 Southern California Firefighters

At Least 8 Firefighters Injured In Fiery Southern California Freeway Crash

At least eight firefighters were injured, two critically, when their fire engine collided with a big rig and burst into flames on a Southern California freeway, authorities said Monday.

Firefighters Rushed To Scene Of Earlier Crash When Their Engine Was Hit

The crash occurred on the eastbound lanes of the 210 Freeway in Rialto, east of Los Angeles, at around 5 a.m., the California Highway Patrol said. Firefighters were responding to a non-injury crash involving a semi-truck and a sedan when a big rig slammed into their fire engine, pushing it about 200 feet.

The impact caused the fire engine to overturn and catch fire, Rialto police Sgt. Deanna Pecoraro said. The semi-truck driver was not injured.

Fire Engine Engulfed In Flames, Firefighters Trapped

Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to free some of the firefighters who were trapped inside, Rialto fire Capt. Jarrett Rose said. Two firefighters were airlifted to a hospital burn center with critical injuries, while six others were taken to local trauma centers with moderate to major injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.