Officials identify firefighter killed while battling El Dorado fire; ‘Charlie’ Morton called a respected leader

A crew boss with the Big Bear Hotshots was identified Monday, Sept. 21, as the firefighter who died Thursday while fighting the El Dorado wildfire, started by a smoke bomb ignited during a gender reveal event in Yucaipa.
Charles Edward Morton, 39, died Thursday while battling the blaze in the San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino National Forest officials said. He worked as a firefighter for 18 years, 14 of which were with the U.S. Forest Service.
“Charlie was a well-respected leader wh