SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- A procession was held Tuesday to honor the firefighter who died while battling the El Dorado Fire burning in the San Bernardino National Forest.
Charles Morton, 39, was a Big Bear Interagency Hotshot squad boss who had been with the Forest Service for 14 years out of an 18-year firefighting career.
He was killed while conducting fire suppression on the blaze last Thursday, Sept. 17.
The procession included a U.S. Forest Service honor guard, along with the California Highway Patrol, escorting his body from San Bernardino to a mortuary in Orange County.
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The family released a statement: "Charlie is survived by his wife and daughter, his parents, two brothers, cousins, and friends. He's loved and will be missed. May he rest easy in heaven with his baby boy."
The El Dorado Fire erupted Sept. 5, with officials linking the cause of the blaze to a pyrotechnic device used at a gender reveal party.
At least 10 structures have been destroyed by the blaze, which has burned more than 22,000 acres with 60% containment.
