Carpinteria woman helps establish memorial honoring fallen firefighter

A stretch of highway in San Diego County will honor the memory of fallen firefighter Cory Iverson.

Alice Robles, a third grade teacher at Ellwood School in Goleta, helped make that happen.

“I’m sure a lot of us have traveled to and from San Diego,” Robles said. “And when we travel there we will see the beautiful signage in honor of Calfire Firefighter, Cory Iverson.”

Robles lives in Carpinteria and like so many local commuters, was greatly impacted by the Montecito disaster in January and the two week-long closure of Highway 101.

Robles said she wanted to do something to honor Iverson, who died fighting the Thomas Fire.

“He is not only a hometown hero to his neighbors and friends and relatives in Escondido, he is a hero for all of us in all the communities of California.”

Robles worked with Assemblymember Monique Limon’s office, wrote up a formal letter and collected signatures from her co-workers along with Santa Barbara County firefighters.

From there, Limon took charge, adding momentum to an effort already underway, thanks to State Representative Marie Waldron.

Governor Jerry Brown gave the project a thumbs up and signed ACR 205 August 17.

Robles said she also had a message for Iverson’s widow, Ashley.

“My biggest hope is she will find out that people here in the community of Santa Barbara were involved,” Robles said.

Assemblymember Limon said the Cory Iverson Memorial Highway sign will go up between the 15 and 78 freeways in his hometown of Escondido by the end of the year.

“This was a unanimous, bipartisan decision,” Limon said. “People recognize the sacrifice these women and men make in the line of duty and are thankful for his service.”