North Texas Firefighter Diana Jones Dies While Helping Battle Wildfires In California
CRESSON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A North Texas volunteer firefighter has been killed while helping battle one of the wildfires raging in California.
Firefighter Diana Jones was as an EMT and volunteer firefighter. She had been with the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department for more than 5 years. Cresson is about 25 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
CBS 11 News learned Tuesday morning that Jones and her son, Cresson VFD Capt. Ian Shelly, travel west and work for private contractors fighting fires during the fire season.
Jones was working with her son on a fire northwest of Sacramento, California when she died in an accident while repositioning her truck during a firefight.
The August Complex Fire -- in Mendocino County -- started as 37 separate lightning caused fires and has now burned close to 250,000 acres. Currently, the fire is only 20% contained.
Cresson is not the only local department with firefighters helping to battle the California fires. Parker County Emergency Services, Division 1 says firefighters from both their department and the Weatherford Fire Department are currently helping to fight fires out west.
The Cresson VFD posted the tragic news of their colleague's death on their Facebook page Monday saying Jones had just updated her profile picture to show the terrain in California where she was working.
They say their department is numbed by the news and hurting.
Since hearing the tragic news, tributes from local departments in the area including Hood County, Everman, Goldly and Millsap have been posted on social media. All sharing their condolences with the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department and remembering Jones -- a firefighter who died doing what she was passionate about.