Posted on 04/06/2026 3:38:51 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Two local families — one whose patriarch is a firefighter in Orange County and the other whose matriarch is a former KTLA employee — are reeling after an off-road vehicle fire severely left two young girls injured.
IAFF Local 3631, the union representing firefighters across Orange County, said Monday that Fire Captain Mike Mallett and his family were on a trip to St. George, located in southern Utah, last week when they were traveling in a caravan of vehicles back to a campsite.
“On April 2, while traveling back to camp in a caravan of vehicles, an unthinkable accident occurred. In an instant, everything changed,” the union said in an Instagram post. “Amid dust, sun, and limited visibility, a fire broke out involving one of the vehicles carrying his wife, daughter and friends.”
Quick actions of firefighters on scene prevented any deaths; however, IAFF Local 3631 says the impact of the incident has been “severe,” as Mallett’s daughter Brooklyn suffered burns to approximately 40% of her body.
In the wake of the terrifying ordeal, Brooklyn, 15, was airlifted to a burn center in Las Vegas. According to the union, she sustained the most severe burns on her legs and one of her hands. She has already gone through multiple surgeries, and there are “many more ahead.”
...
Another victim of the off-road vehicle fire is Elena Patronino, the daughter of former KTLA Entertainment employee Briana Bird Patronino.
Elena, like Brooklyn, had to be airlifted to Las Vegas for further medical treatment. It was determined that she sustained second- and third-degree burns on her left side, including her face, neck, chest, arm and back.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
Horrible tragedy. Prayers for them.
Y R U telling us this?
Prayers up for those poor girls as burns are horrible, but my guess is that the vehicle fire left the girls severely burned. I guess no one is taught how to write coherent sentences any more.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.