Inmate Firefighter Injured in Malibu Brush Fire Dies

The female inmate who was injured by a falling boulder in Thursday’s Malibu brush fire that charred 10 acres has died, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Friday.

The inmate was identified as Shawna Lynn Jones, 22. Jones was fighting the early morning brush fire when she was struck in the head by the boulder that had fallen downhill, according to the CDCR.

She was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center where she was listed in critical conditions with major injuries. Jones was removed from life support Friday and her organs were donated per her family’s wishes, the CDCR said.

“Her death is a tragic reminder of the danger that inmate firefighters face when they volunteer to confront fires to save homes and lives,” CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan said. “On behalf of all of us in the department, I send my deepest condolences to her family.”

The blaze, which was fully contained Friday morning, started in the area of Mulholland Highway and Bardman Street about 3 a.m. Thursday. About 200 firefighters were sent to the scene, said county fire Dispatch Supervisor Rey Dong.

A short time after 6:30 a.m., Jones was injured by the boulder that fell about 100 feet from a hillside.

Firefighters immediately began treatment and administered CPR, according to the fire department.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, fire officials said.

Jones had joined the CDCR’s firefighting program in August 2015 and was assigned to the Malibu Camp, according to the CDCR. The camp is a joint operation with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and is one of three camps housing a total of 195 female firefighters.

She’s the third person to die in the line of duty since the camp began in 1943. Women were incorporated into the program in 1983, according to the CDCR.

--City News Service contributed to this report