Injured CDF Firefighter”s Condition Upgraded

A Calaveras CDF firefighter, injured Sunday when his fire engine tumbled off Interstate 15 and crashed while en route to a wildfire in San Bernardino County, has been upgraded to fair condition.

Fire Apparatus Engineer Tim Valadez had been in critical condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center after suffering extreme blood loss and broken bones in the crash.

A hospital spokeswoman says two other injured firefighters, 26 year old Wesley Gissell and 19 year old Justin Andrews, remain in fair condition.

The three men, based in West Point, were hurt when a driveline malfunction sent their year-old engine down a 60-foot embankment. A safety probe has prompted the California Department of Forestry to sideline ten new fire engines similar to one that crashed.