ORLEANS, Calif. — Three firefighters were hospitalized Friday after they were struck by a tree while battling a wildfire in Northern California.
The trio were part of nearly 1,400 fire personnel stationed on the Butler Fire, part of the Orleans Complex burning in the Six Rivers National Forest in Siskiyou County.
U.S. Forest Service officials said the tree struck three of their firefighters around 2:15 p.m. All three were taken to Redding for medical treatment, but the Forest Service didn’t give the extent of their injuries, only adding that the incident was under investigation.
The Butler Fire has burned just over 12,000 acres as of Saturday morning and was only 2% contained, fire officials said. Multiple evacuations are in place in the surrounding areas.
Firefighters initially battled triple-digit heat gripping interior Northern California earlier in the week. Temperatures will cool slightly to the low 90s over the weekend, but gusty westerly winds to 20 mph will make for “another active day on the fire line,” officials said.
