The Brief

IRVINE, Calif. - For Orange County firefighter Matt Nichols, the past year has been nothing short of a fight for his life. Through pain and setbacks, friends say Nichols has been carried by the love of his 1-year-old son and his wife, Carissa.

"The work she’s done standing by Matt’s side is a testament to their marriage," said Chris Hamm, president of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association and chairman of the Fallen Firefighter Relief Fund. "I think that’s what’s gotten Matt to the point where he is."

The crash happened Sept. 19, 2024, when Nichols and seven other members of the Orange County Fire Authority’s Santiago hand crew were returning from battling the Airport Fire. Their vehicle swerved to avoid a ladder on a freeway in Irvine and flipped. Eight fir

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