Cal Fire Mourns Loss Of San Diego Fire Captain​

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — A Cal Fire San Diego firefighter died Monday after battling cancer, Cal Fire officials announced.

Fire Captain Jason O'Brien, 44, had suffered from inoperable cancer, according to a post by the Cal Fire San Diego County Firefighters of Local #2881, which includes firefighters of San Diego County Fire Authority, Deer Springs Fire Protection District, Ramona Fire Department and Yuima Municipal Water District.

"The Department and Local 2881 are unified in support of Fire Captain O'Brien and his family," Patrick D. Walker, 10th District vice president, wrote on Facebook prior to O'Brien's passing.

Funds are being raised for the Cal Fire San Diego County Firefighters of Local #2881 Benevolent Fund. The fund provides support for the families of fallen, ill or injured firefighters.

As of Wednesday afternoon, another fundraiser on GoFundMe had raised more than $5,000 for O'Brien's family.

"It is with great sadness that the O'Brien family lost their husband and father after a hard battle with job-related cancer," wrote Joshua Lent, who organized the fundraiser.

According to the post, O'Brien had been out of work for two months prior to his death.

"There are mounting medical expenses that have come from that as well as daily living needs with the loss of income," Lent wrote. "Any help while they work through this would be greatly appreciated for them."