ST. HELENA – Three Cal Fire firefighters escaped serious injury early Saturday morning when the fire truck they were riding in rolled down an embankment in rural Napa County.

The three firefighters were staffing a Napa County Fire Department engine and responding to a reported tree down in the Deer Park area of unincorporated Napa County at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when the crash occurred, according to Napa County Fire Marshal Pete Muñoa.

Preliminary reports indicate that the engine and crew were traveling down a narrow, unlit rural road when the right wheels lost contact with the roadway, according to Muñoa's report.

He said the vehicle rolled 360 degrees down a steep embankment, traveling approximately 40 feet before hitting a large pine tree where it came to a stop.

The three firefighters extricated themselves from the engine and were transported via ambulance to the Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa for medical evaluation. Muñoa said only one of the three firefighters was treated for a minor shoulder injury and all were released shortly after.

The 2006 Pierce Fire Engine was equipped with driver and passenger airbags which is believed to

have saved the life of at least one of the firefighters, Muñoa said.

A CAL FIRE Serious Accident Review Team (SART) has been activated and will be conducting a

thorough investigation of the incident in cooperation with the California Highway Patrol and the Napa County Risk Manager, he added.

Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .