Incident Name:
Date: 11/23/2010
Personnel: Fernando Julio “Nando” Sanchez
Age: 25
Agency/Organization: LA County Department of Corrections, firefighter serving at Los Angeles County Fire Camp 14
Position: firefighter
Summary: On January 23, 2010, Firefighter Sanchez was a passenger in a wildland firefihting crew transport (Crewbus from Acton Camp 14). There were as many as 12 firefighters in the vehicle. An SUV crossed the centerline of the highway and crashed into the crew carrier. Several firefighters were ejected in the crash and a number received severe injuries. Firefighter Sanchez was killed in the crash.
Maps
Incident Location: Highway 138 near Interstate 5 south of Gorman; approximately 2.3 miles west of the camp
{mosmap lat=’34.78317’|lon=’-118.66095’|marker=’0’|text=’Accident Location’}
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- USDA Memorial Database: Fernando Julio Sanchez
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Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Hotlist: 11/23/10. Announcement of the LODD, articles and info on the accident and condolences.
Media Articles and Reports
- Two Dead in Inmate Bus Collision in Gorman11/23/2014 | Online Article
A bus carrying California fire crew inmates collided head-on Tuesday with another vehicle on Highway 138 in Gorman, sending prisoners flying from the vehicles and killing two, authorities said.
The 2:18 p.m. crash involved a state fire vehicle and another car on the road just east of the 5 Freeway, said Officer Vince Ramirez of the California Highway Patrol.
“Apparently, the fire truck rolled over and people were ejected,” he said. Ramirez said an extensive investigation team is responding. (More at the link…)
- Calif. Inmate Firefighter Killed in Crash11/23/2014 | Online Article
Gorman, Calif. — A truck carrying a prison inmate fire crew collided with a car on a narrow highway north of Los Angeles on Tuesday, killing one inmate and one person from the car and leaving a dozen people injured, authorities said.
The car and truck crashed at 2:20 p.m. on Highway 138 near Interstate 4 south of Gorman, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Matt Levesque said.
Most of the injured were crew members and the majority were in critical condition, Levesque said.
They were taken to several different local trauma centers, he said. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
The crew was one of four based at a camp near the crash site in San Francisquito Canyon in Saugus, Levesque said. The county and the California Department of Corrections work together to maintain 10 such camps throughout LA county.
The camps are the long-term home for the inmates, who help battle wildfires, and work on fuel clearing and construction projects when major fires are not burning.
“These members spend entire days together, they fight fire together, so for them they are a very close-knit crew,” Levesque said. “When something like this happens, it’s just like another firefighter that goes down. It’s a very tragic accident.” (More at the link…)
- Also: Check the hotlist link above
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
Obituary: Fernando J “Nando” Sanchez
Contributors to this article: norcaltraining. CaptMac, SBHotshot, Capt31
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