IRVINE, CA – On the evening of Thursday, September 19, 2024, eight members of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) were injured in a serious single-vehicle crash on the northbound 241 Toll Road near Tomato Springs. The incident occurred around 6:57 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The injured firefighters were returning from a grueling 12-hour shift battling the Airport Fire, OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy stated during a press conference.
According to KTLA 5, the fire crew’s transport truck collided with a ladder on the roadway before hitting a guardrail and overturning. Six firefighters were critically injured, while two others sustained moderate injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals and trauma centers.
CHP issued a SigAlert, closing all northbound lanes of the toll road, and diverted traffic at Portola Springs as authorities investigated the crash. OCFA Chief Fennessy asked the public to keep the injured firefighters and their families in their thoughts, noting, “This is the beginning of a long road for our firefighters and their families.”