California wildfires, which have so far torched more than a million acres of land, including parts of the state’s historic redwood forest, have become a target for looters, and at least one firefighter had his bank account “drained” as he risked his life battling the historic blaze.
“California’s ongoing historic wildfires have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and police said looters are taking advantage of the empty houses,” USA Today reported Monday. “In one case, a looter took advantage of an unoccupied car. Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart on Sunday told reporters that a California firefighter’s marked vehicle was burglarized.”
The looters apparently entered the firefighter’s truck as he and his crew were fighting to control the Santa Cruz blaze sometime between Friday evening and Saturday morning. In a matter of hours, they’d taken his possessions and allegedly drained his bank account using a debit card, per the Santa Cruz sheriff’s office.
“That’s the extent these people have gone,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said at a press conference. “Again, this is why we’ve asked for people to evacuate. The sheriff’s department has done a fantastic job in trying to wrangle this, but again, this is what we have as a result.” – READ MORE
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