At least 14 injured fighting Dolan Fire in California, US Forest Service says

At least 14 firefighters and bulldozer operators were injured Tuesday while fighting the Dolan Fire in central California, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday.

One person is in critical condition.

The blaze is burning near the Big Sur in the Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest. Officials said that at 8:31 a.m., firefighters near the Nacimiento station engaged in shelter deployment to defend the station, KSFY reported.

According to the Forest Service, crew members suffered injuries that included burns and smoke inhalation, The Associated Press reported. The crew members were airlifted to an area hospital, the AP reported.

The fire was ignited by arson Aug. 18 in the Big Sur area, KSFY reported. One person has been arrested, the television station reported.

The Dolan Fire doubled in size during Monday’s dry, windy weather, The Mercury News reported. As of Tuesday, the fire has burned 73,089 acres and is 40% contained, according to KSFY.

It has already been a record year for fires in California, with nearly 2.3 million acres burned this year, the AP reported.

“This is historic,” Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters during a briefing.

The previous acreage record was set in 2018 and included the deadliest wildfire in state history, which killed 85 people, the AP reported.

The latest information on the Dolan Fire can be found here.

Cox Media Group