News
Firefighters Face Troubles in North Carolina and California
February 1st, 12:09 PM EST
Updated:
CALIFORNIA
A veteran firefighter died while responding to a blaze in California, but not due to injuries he sustained from the fire.
47 year-old veteran firefighter Captain Max Fortuna has died. While responding to a fire, he was shot.
The shooting happened while crews responded to an early morning dumpster fire -- that spread to a building.
Fortuna was struck and then rushed to a hospital, where he died.
He had been a firefighter for more than two decades, and is survived by a a wife and two adult children.
Police said a suspect, a 67-year-old man, is in custody.
Fortuna was struck and then rushed to a hospital, where he died.
He had been a firefighter for more than two decades, and is survived by a a wife and two adult children.
Police said a suspect, a 67-year-old man, is in custody.
Mario Gardea, president of Stockton Firefighters Local 456 said, "Today is a tragic day. A tragic day to, for Max Fortuna's family. A tragic day to the family at the fire station. Today is a good representation of the type of person that Max was. Max was a firefighter who showed up every day and never complained about being on the job. I don't really know too many other firefighters who enjoyed the job as much as him."
NORTH CAROLINA
Authorities are asking people within one mile of a blaze at a fertilizer plant to evacuate due to the possibility of a large explosion.
Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo said “Don’t wait for something to happen. Something has happened. Now is the time to get out.”
City officials have confirmed small explosions already, and there's the potential for a large explosion due to a large amount of ammonium nitrate onsite.
Fire crews abandoned their efforts to extinguish the blaze for that reason they say there's no way to get enough water to be reasonably certain that they could keep the site cool enough to prevent a detonation. The building has collapsed, and access to the product inside the building is restricted.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this point.
City officials have confirmed small explosions already, and there's the potential for a large explosion due to a large amount of ammonium nitrate onsite.
Fire crews abandoned their efforts to extinguish the blaze for that reason they say there's no way to get enough water to be reasonably certain that they could keep the site cool enough to prevent a detonation. The building has collapsed, and access to the product inside the building is restricted.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this point.
