An inmate firefighter stole a firetruck while fighting a vegetation fire in Gold Country outside Sacramento and took it on a joyride before crashing and injuring himself, a fire official said Monday. He was working with Cal Fire’s Amador-El Dorado unit and took the engine about 12:40 a.m. Monday, two hours after the crew responded to the vegetation fire, Herring said. The inmate was taken to a local hospital for injuries but is in good condition and expected to recover, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “During the incident, significant damage was done to the engine as well as private and public property,” Thornton said in a statement. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is working with CDCR and local law enforcement to investigate.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 06, 2021 00:45 UTC