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Update: Firefighter who died battling Dixie Fire ID’d

Marcus Pacheco, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service, was suffering from a previous illness, CAL FIRE reported

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AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Update at 1:22 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2021

By Rachel Engel

GREENVILLE, Calif. — The identity of the firefighter who died while working the Dixie Fire was released.

Marcus Pacheco, assistant fire engine operator and a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service, died from an illness, NBC Bay Area reported.

No other details were released.

Original reporting:

By Greg Friese

GREENVILLE, Calif. — An Assistant Fire Engine Operator died on September 4, 2021, while working on the Dixie Fire.

CAL FIRE reported the line of duty death to ABC10 of a firefighter who was with the Lassen National Forest, according to a spokesperson with the department.

The Dixie Fire, actively burning in northern California, has burned more than 889,000 acres across five Northern California counties and is 56% contained, according to ABC7. The Dixie Fire is the second-largest recorded wildfire in California history.

More information will be added when it is available.