An inmate firefighter was critically injured Thursday while working on a brush fire that broke out in Malibu.
The inmate firefighter was part of a hand crew working in a steep ravine when a large boulder came crashing down and struck her, said Chris Reade, a public information officer with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
It was unclear exactly where the boulder struck the firefighter, but she was in critical condition, Reade said.
Video showed the firefighter being air lifted into a Fire Department helicopter at about 7:30 a.m.
She was taken by helicopter to a local hospital, according to a tweet from LACounty Fire PIO.
#UPDATE *Brush Fire* #Malibu 1 Camp Crew Female Inmate has suffered major injuries & has been transported by helicopter to area hospital.
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) February 25, 2016
Falling boulders are always a concern for fighters in hillside areas where trees and bushes have been recently burned away.
The brush fire in Malibu broke out just after 3 a.m. three miles north of Pacific Coast Highway near Mulholland Highway.
The fire burned about 7 acres before forward progress was stopped by firefighters.
