Fallen Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Fire engineer, Daniel Cook’s body is covered in an American flag as he is led to a hearse outside the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Cook died during a structure fire this morning. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighter died while extinguishing a fire at a home in Nuevo on Wednesday morning, Dec. 31, a Cal Fire spokesman said.
Engineer Danny Cook, 45, died from a medical emergency and not an injury, Cal Fire said. Cook worked at Station 90 in Perris.
“His commitment to duty and service will not be forgotten,” Joe Tyler, chief of the state firefighting agency, said in a written statement. “Our deepest condolences are extended to Engineer Cook’s family, loved ones, and our department family during this incredibly difficult time.”
A procession for the firefighter was tentatively scheduled to leave Riverside University Health System Medical Center on Cactus Avenue in Moreno Valley around 12:45 p.m. The route would take the procession down the 215 Freeway to the Coroner’s Office at 800 S. Redlands Ave. in Perris.
No other details on Cook’s death were immediately available.
The fire was reported in the 31300 block of Marcuchio Road around 5:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find the garage completely consumed by flames, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department engineer Danny Cook died after suffering a medical emergency while fighting a fire in Nuevo on Dec. 31, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Caryn Jaramillo)
Two civilians were hospitalized for treatment of minor injuries, Cal Fire spokeswoman Maggie Cline-De la Rosa said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Nuevo is a rural city in Riverside County near Lake Perris with a population just over 6,700.
The family of fallen Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Fire engineer, Daniel Cook leads the procession to a hearse outside the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Cook died during a structure fire this morning. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department captain and hospital staff pay their respects for fallen Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Fire engineer, Daniel Cook outside the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Cook died during a structure fire this morning. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Fellow firefighters pay their respects for fallen Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Fire engineer, Daniel Cook outside the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Cook died during a structure fire this morning. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Fallen Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Fire engineer, Daniel Cook’s body is covered in an American flag as he is led to a hearse outside the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Cook died during a structure fire this morning. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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The family of fallen Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Fire engineer, Daniel Cook leads the procession to a hearse outside the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Cook died during a structure fire this morning. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
