5th Calif. firefighter dies of injuries

November 1, 2006
 
COLTON, California - A fifth U.S. Forest Service firefighter died from serious burn injuries caused when the crew the firefighter was with was overtaken by flames from a Southern California wildfire. Pablo Cerda, 23, of Fountain Valley, died at 5:08 p.m. at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, Jeanne Wade Evans, the San Bernardino National Forest supervisor, said at a news conference outside the hospital. The fireifighter was burned over 90 percent of his body while trying to protect a home in the San Jacinto Mountains, an area 90 miles east of Los Angeles. Three other firefighters died at the scene of the fire and Cerda's captain died soon after at a hospital. The individual police believe was responsible has also been arrested in connection with the fire. The same man was connected to two previous wildfires this year.

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