We here at tactical shit will never ignore a fallen first responder. It is with heavy hearts we bring you this article Rest In peace Cory Iverson. Valhalla awaits.
A funeral procession from Ventura to San Diego County was held on Sunday for a heroic firefighter who lost his life in the Thomas fire currently raging in southern California.
The somber ceremony began at 10am Sunday morning in honor of Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson, who was killed while battling the blaze on Thursday.
The Ventura County Coroner’s office said that Iverson died of burns and smoke inhalation on December 14 in Fillmore, located about 30 miles north of Los Angeles county.
The procession traveled south on the 101 Freeway through Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties, arriving at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego County at 2.15pm, according to the Los Angeles Times. The procession covered nearly 200 miles.
Iverson, 32, was with a five-engine strike team from San Diego when he was killed attempting to quell the third largest blaze California has ever seen.
According to state officials, the fire currently covers 267,500 acres – an area larger than New York City.
Iverson, who joined the Cal Fire in 2009 and worked at a station in Dulzura, leaves behind a pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter.
A GoFundMe account has been set up ‘For Ashley Iverson and her girls,’ raising more than $380,000 as of Sunday evening.
‘This fund is created to help with her daughters and the expenses that come with raising little ones, meals, mortgage payments, bills etc,’ Cecily Bauchmann, a close friend of Iverson’s widow, explains on the fundraising site.
‘This is still so very new but please contribute as you feel led. Their oldest is almost 3 and they will be due in May with their newest baby. I will update here as needed. Thank you all for blessing the Iverson family.’
The LA Times reports that a memorial for Iverson has been scheduled for 10am on Dec. 23 at the Rock Church in Point Loma.
The blaze is also blamed for the Dec. 6 death of a 70-year-old woman who died in a car crash on an evacuation route.
The fire that started nearly two weeks ago has burned more than 1,000 structures, including at least 750 homes. Some 18,000 more homes are still threatened.
Corey Iverson (pictured), who worked for the department’s San Diego Unit as a member of a fire strike team, died Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 at the age of 32
Some evacuation orders were lifted to the east in Ventura County, where the blaze erupted, and officials reported making progress protecting the inland agricultural city of Fillmore.
The 420-square-mile blaze crested a peak just north of Montecito, where evacuation orders remained in effect. Known for its star power, the enclave includes the mansions of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and many other celebrities.
‘Still praying for our little town,’ Winfrey tweeted. It was not clear if the former talk show host was in Montecito.
A portion of the city of Santa Barbara was also evacuated as a thick plume of smoke blew through city streets.
At the city’s zoo, workers put some animals into crates and kennels to ready them for possible evacuation.
While crews …