Sacramento Ca. A California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officer based in Lake County recently risked his own life to save three lives in the Valley Fire.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, Warden Timothy Little was working mutual aid law enforcement safety patrols in the town of Cobb, just south of Clear Lake, in support of the Valley Fire. Little, other wildlife officers and numerous first responders were scrambling to evacuate residents trapped or needing assistance from their homes.

As the fire began to consume the small town of Cobb (pop. 1,780) an emergency call went out that an elderly woman was trapped in her home on Pine Summit Road and needed immediate rescue. Hearing radio calls that other units were unable to respond because of fire and debris in the roadway, Little headed toward the home. Driving his four-wheel drive patrol vehicle through raging fire and burning road hazards, he found and entered the home, where he located an elderly woman trapped in the house with her 11-month old granddaughter.

Little safely got both the woman and child out of their home, into his patrol truck and on the road to safety just minutes before fire destroyed the home. Both are now safe with family.

Shortly after this rescue, Little again put his own safety at risk to assist another elderly woman, this time needing transport due to serious medical needs.

When Little learned that no medical transport crews would be able to make it to the woman in time, he raced to Anderson Springs, five miles away, on Hot Springs Road in Middletown, to aid the woman. After locating the house, he found the woman trapped on the second floor, unable to walk.  Little carried her down a flight of stairs to a civilian vehicle and escorted them out of immediate danger before continuing to assist in other searches.

“The entire department is incredibly proud of every warden in the field who is supporting efforts to fight the raging wildfires in northern California,” said CDFW Chief of Patrol David Bess. “Tim Little’s bravery and courage are a credit to both CDFW and the State of California.”

CDFW has more than 20 wildlife officers working around the clock to provide mutual aid support to allied law enforcement agencies, fire crews and paramedics fighting both the Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties and the Valley Fire in Lake County.