The August Complex, a group of wildfires, is likely something about which most people in California have concerns. In fact, there are firefighters who risk their lives everyday as they work to get these fires under control. Unfortunately, one firefighter was recently killed and another injured in a work-related incident that occurred as they were working toward this purpose.
Details regarding the incident are unclear. However, the California Highway Patrol reports that a fire engine was involved in a rollover crash described as fatal during the afternoon hours on a day in late August. The U.S. Forest Service reports that a firefighter was killed.
Reports indicate that the firefighter died as a result of burns. Another firefighter suffered burns on the hand and arm while a third was injured. The deceased victim’s identity was not released in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Unfortunately, this was not the first fatality associated with the incident; other work-related deaths connected to the fires include a utility worker and a helicopter pilot.
Unfortunately, there are a variety of different jobs that require people to risk their lives in order to protect others, including those simply working to determine the source of a power outage during an emergency. Their deaths create both mental and financial hardship for their families, which is why states — including California — require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance benefits as protection for workers and their families in the event a work-related incident resulting in injury occurs. A professional with experience with the process can help victims — including surviving family members in the event of a fatality — pursue fair compensation.
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