• Cory Iverson Procession

Cory Iverson wasn't from Wildomar and didn't work in Wildomar, but Wildomar turned out to honor him as his procession passed through our town on the I-15.

He died, Thursday December 14th, while fighting the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Those in uniform stood at attention from the moment the procession was in sight,
until it had completely passed and was out of sight going south. 

Looking north from the Baxter overpass. You can see many cars that had stopped on the side of the road to get a glimpse of the passing hearse. 

After passing Baxter and heading towards Clinton Keith Road.

Standing on Station 61's engine, honoring their fellow firstresponder.

Link to LA Times Story about Cory Iverson

Crowds started to gather at the corner of Monte Vista and Baxter around 12:30pm. Mostly members of Cal Fire at first, but soon many residents began to assemble too.

There had to be between two and three dozen cars on the east side of the freeway.

The procession was about an hour later than anticipated (thank you SoCal freeways), but most people stayed until they could gather on the overpass to pay their respects.

The overpass was closed starting about 1:45pm and people started getting into position.

There were many American flags on display while one woman was attaching the numbers "301" to the fence. 

Cory Iverson had a stint as a firefighter with Cal Fire in Riverside County where he worked on Helicopter 301 in Hemet.

Sometime after 2:25pm the crowd began to work their way back to their cars. 

The story was repeated the entire stretch of the route. People lined the overpasses and/or stopped by the side of the road to watch the procession when they knew it was approaching their area.

Cause of Death

Cory Iverson, 32, died of "thermal injuries and smoke inhalation," according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner, following an autopsy. 

This family photo shows Cory Iverson, his wife Ashley, and daughter, 2-year-old Evie Iverson.

The Cal Fire San Diego fire apparatus engineer died on while working in a reportedly "very active" area of the fire in the Fillmore area. Cal Fire's Serious Accident Review Team is investigating the events leading up to Iverson's death.

Cal Fire Local 2881 President Mike Lopez issued a statement regarding Iverson's passing:

"Firefighting is a noble profession and the men and women who make it their life sometimes pay for it with their lives. As colleagues and as human beings we grieve for this young man with such a bright future and the young family that will now go forward without a loving husband and father. We pray that they will always understand that Cory was a hero and, because of him, our communities are safe and people are able to sleep knowing that the dangerous calls get answered by someone. This holiday season is now a time to grieve and to reflect and to remember that security comes with a price."

•                •                •

When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him, lies on the paths of men.

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow