A Santa Cruz Fire Ground Commander battling the CZU Lightning Complex Fire became the victim of looters over the weekend, according to Cal Fire.
When the firefighter returned to his work vehicle he noticed his wallet was missing, and he later realized his entire bank account had been drained, KTLA sister station KRON4 in San Francisco reported.
“It’s unfortunate. It’s sickening that one of our Fire Ground Commanders, while out taking care of business and directing firefighting crews, somebody entered his department vehicle and stole his wallet and drained his bank account,” a Cal Fire official said in a briefing.
Cal Fire tweeted about the incident, emphasizing the importance of staying out of evacuated zones.
The CZU Lightning Complex fires, affecting San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, have expanded to more than 71,000 acres and are 17% contained at last check.
There had been reports of looters targeting homes of residents who were forced to flee due to the fires on Friday afternoon.
Five people suspected of looting were later arrested in Santa Cruz County amid wildfire evacuations, officials said.
