Forest Service fire chief wounded by gunfire on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road.

Firefighters put their lives on the line nearly every time they go out on a call, but getting shot at isn’t their most immediate worry. It does happen, however.

On Dec. 11, a U.S. Forest Service fire division chief found himself the victim of a shooting on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in South County, says Monterey County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Cmdr. John Thornburg.

The chief, Peter Harris, was treated for gunshot wounds at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and is expected to be okay.

His harrowing experience started just before 5:15pm, after he was out on a call for a small forest fire in Big Sur extinguished earlier by firefighters.

He was shot at while driving a U.S. Forest Service vehicle. He called in his own shooting to 911, Thornburg says. Harris described the assailant as a white man in a red pickup truck.

Two deputies responded to the call, and based on Harris’ description, spotted a red pickup truck and gave chase through Fort Hunter Liggett, shooting at the truck and trying to force the driver to spin out.

When the suspect did stop his truck he jumped out and the deputies followed on foot, with help from both the California Highway Patrol and police from the Army base.

It was Fort Hunter Liggett police that secured the suspect, Thornburg says.

Jacob Thomas Kirkendall, 25, of Santa Cruz, was taken into custody and booked into Monterey County Jail on charges of attempted murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon.

Thornburg says he does not know what the possible motive was.

The officer involved shooting is being investigated by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. Harris’ shooting is still under investigation by Sheriff’s investigators.