A firefighter has passed away because of a medical emergency while responding to a wildland fire in Kern County, California.
According to a release from California Interagency Management Team 15, a firefighter working in a support role at the incident command post had an acute medical emergency and passed away while at the Stagecoach Fire. The fallen member was not a Kern County Firefighter, according to the department’s social media page.
According to KGET, the U.S. Forest Service identified the firefighter as Pete Heins, a retired CAL FIRE captain from San Bernardino.
As of August 9, the Stagecoach Fire was as 7,760 acres with 64-percent containment. The fire has destroyed 12 residences and damaged at least two others, while destroying 25 other minor structures and damaging two.
