A firefighter was killed by a wind-fueled blaze while searching for a spot in Modoc National Forest where his crew could best handle the wildfire that is currently scorching some parts of Northern California, officials from the U.S. Forest Service revealed on Saturday.
The victim, 38-year-old David Ruhl from South Dakota, was inside a vehicle in the forest searching for methods on how firefighters could subdue the blaze when the crews lost contact with him on Thursday evening. His body was recovered the following day.
Officials could not immediately say whether Ruhl had time to call for help or whether the flames passing him quickly was the reason for him being unable to let others know that he was in trouble, according to the Associated Press.
A total of 23 large fires, many of which were caused by lightning strikes, were scorching across Northern California on Saturday, said Daniel Berlant, the spokesperson for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in California, according to The Eagle.
"The conditions and fire behavior we're seeing at 10 in the morning is typically what we'd see in late afternoon in late August and September. But because of the dry conditions, because of the drought-stricken vegetation accompanied by the steep terrain and winds, we're seeing fire activity that's abnormal for this time of year," said Nick Schuler, a division chief with Cal Fire.
Because of the large fires, California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for the state and activated the California National Guard to help with recovery during the calamity.
