Firefighter Fatality

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:

Name: Fernando Sanchez

Rank: Inmate Firefighter

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Status: Wildland Part-Time

Years of Service: Pending

Date of Incident: 11/23/2010

Time of Incident: 1420hrs

Date of Death: 11/23/2010

Fire Department: California Department of Corrections

Address: 1515 S Street,

Suite 502

, South Sacramento, CA 95814

Fire Department Chief: Secretary Matthew Cate

Incident Description: Inmate Firefighter Sanchez was killed when the crew carrying vehicle (CCV) he was riding in was struck head-on by a car that, according to press reports, had crossed over the center of the roadway into oncoming traffic.

Sanchez, along with other inmate firefighters, was reported to have been ejected from the heavily damaged CCV as it rolled at least one time along the shoulder of the roadway coming to a final resting position on its right side.  Four of the other inmates were critically injured.  Eight additional people, including a Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter who drove the CCV and served as the crew's leader, received minor-to-moderate injuries. The driver of the car that struck the CCV was also killed and pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Incident Location: Highway 138 near Interstate 5 south of Gorman.

Funeral Arrangements: Pending

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending

Tribute is being paid to Inmate Firefighter Fernando Sanchez at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

To date, 78 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2010; 76 from incidents that occurred in 2010 and 2 from previous year incidents.  Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online @ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm.