CAL FIRE engineer suffers medical emergency during house fire

Update, 9 Jan. 2026: The USFA listed Cook’s death on 9 January 2026.

By Bill Carey
2 January 2026

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — A CAL FIRE/Riverside County firefighter died after suffering a medical emergency during a house fire on 31 December, in Perris, according to CAL FIRE.

In a social media post, the department identified the firefighter as Fire Apparatus Engineer Daniel “Danny” Cook.

Firefighters found a garage fully engulfed on arrival. A man and a woman with minor injuries were taken to a hospital.

Photo courtesy of CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department/Facebook.