Probe Into Fire Engine Crash Continues

Investigators today are continuing to question two firefighters hurt when their fire engine tumbled off a freeway and crashed over the weekend.

The investigators from the Highway Patrol and California Department of Forestry are trying to determine what caused the year-old engine to tumble off the Interstate 15 freeway.

The team began interviewing the two Calaveras County CDF firefighters yesterday at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

Investigators say it may be a few more days before they can interview Fire Apparatus Engineer Tim Valadez. He has been upgraded to fair condition after suffering extreme blood loss and broken bones in the crash. The two other firefighters, Westly Gissell and Justin Andrews, are in fair and good condition.

The three men were en route to a wildfire in San Bernardino County on Sunday when the accident occurred. That blaze was later contained.

Officials say two firefighters have been injured in an engine rollover on their way to fight the giant Biscuit fire west of Grants Pass.

A small wildland fire engine carrying five contract firefighters to the west flank of the fire rolled over on US Highway 199 today. Two firefighters were injured and taken to Three Rivers Hospital in Grants Pass, and the other three to fire camp. There was no immediate word on their condition.