8 firefighters hurt, 2 critically, in fire truck rollover crash

Eight firefighters were hurt -- including two critically -- when the fire truck they were in rolled over while returning from a 12-hour shift battling the Airport Fire wildfire, one of several large blazes raging in Southern California, officials said.

The truck crashed on State Route 241 in Irvine just before 7 p.m. Thursday, Orange County Fire AuthorityChief Brian Fennessy said.

The California Highway Patrol told ABC Los Angeles station KABC that a car in front of the truck swerved to avoid hitting a ladder that was in one of the lanes, causing the fire truck to swerve, lose control and overturn after hitting the guard rail. No other cars were involved in the crash, Fennessy said.

Six firefighters were taken to trauma centers in conditions ranging from "stable to critical," Fennessy said at a news conference Friday. Two firefighters were treated at Hoag Hospital Irvine and have since been released, he said.

Of the six taken to trauma centers, two were admitted in critical condition and are in the intensive care unit on Friday, Dr. Humberto Sauri told reporters. One is considered "critical but stable" and the other's condition is "quite critical," he said.

Four of the eight firefighters "are more seriously injured than the others," Fennessy said.

Fennessy called the crash "devastating" and a "huge tragedy for our family."

Firefighters have been battling the Airport Fire "non-stop" since Sept. 9, Fennessy said.

He said this team of firefighters was responsible for removing fuel from the path of fire.

The crash remains under investigation by the highway patrol.

Fennessy said, "What I've heard was that the crew carrier, you know, the crew buggy, as we call them, did swerve for whatever reason, and did roll several times."

"They're heavy vehicles," he said. "They're very top-heavy. So it wouldn't take much, you know, at speed, you know, for them to roll over."