The fire agencies of Ventura County honored four firefighters who lost their lives to job-related illnesses during the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial remembrance this week.

There are now 51 names engraved on the Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the Ventura County Government Center. The latest four — Gary Dean Oliver, John Wendell Spiker, Gary Raymond Hart and Rueben John Murrieta — were added last year. All four died from work-related cancer.

The pandemic prevented an in-person ceremony in 2020, so a tribute video was produced to serve as a reminder of the sacrifices all 51 of these firefighters made until an event could be held with the families. 

Unveiled in 2004, the Ventura County Fallen Firefighter Memorial is on the grounds of the County Government Center off Victoria Avenue in Ventura. It features a 7-foot bronze statue and granite base on which the names of fallen firefighters are engraved.

The site recognizes firefighters who died in the line of duty, whether from traumatic injury or job-related illness. It represents each of the seven fire agencies serving the county, including Ventura County, Oxnard, Ventura City, Federal Fire, Fillmore City, CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service. 
 
For more information about the Ventura County Fallen Firefighter Memorial, visit vcfd.org/Fallen-Firefighter-Memorial, or contact the Public Information Office, 805-389-9769 or PIOFire@ventura.org.