TV News Van Driver Hampered Oakland Fire Fight, Police Say
OAKLAND — A television news van ripped a hole in a water hose supplying firefighters during last month’s deadly wildfire when the driver ignored officials and zoomed into a restricted area, police said.
Hing Chung Ng, 27, was charged Monday with interfering with a firefighter discharging his duties, failing to obey a traffic officer and failing to obey a firefighter, all misdemeanors.
Thirty firefighters were without water for 30 minutes, a situation that put them in danger and probably caused the loss or damage of some homes, Oakland fire officials said. The Oct. 20 inferno killed 25 people, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damage.
Ng told officers he worked for KPIX, the local CBS affiliate. News director Harry Fuller did not return repeated telephone calls from the Associated Press.
Police said Ng ignored orders from officers, and ignored cones and flares before he ran over the five-inch hose.
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