By FireRescue1 Staff
 Photo Courtesy Newport Beach Firefighters Firefighter Kevin Pryor. |
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — A 31-year-old Calif. firefighter died of an inter-cerebral hemorrhage Tuesday shortly after helping to fight the Humboldt Fire in Northern California.
Kevin Pryor, of the Newport Beach Fire Department, had returned Sunday from his participation in a strike team at the Humboldt Fire. A friend found Pryor at home on Monday and called 911. Firefighter Pryor was rushed to the hospital, where he died early Tuesday morning, surrounded by family and fellow firefighters.
Firefighter Pryor was named Rookie Firefighter of the Year in 1999 and Firefighter of the Year by the Pismo Beach Fire Department, where he worked until 2003.
Local fire departments paid tribute to Firefighter Pryor Wednesday as his body was transported home to Westlake Village, Calif., by lining the route and displaying apparatus.
The Newport Beach Fire Department has created a memorial web page for Firefighter Pryor, which contains information about donations and funeral arrangements, at http://nbfa.org/index.cfm?Section=10&PageNum=171.