One Forsyth County firefighter had to be taken by ambulance to Grady Hospital after he was injured in a house fire Wednesday night. Two others were also injured.
The fire began during a domestic dispute at a North Forsyth home off at 4305 Hopewell Manor Drive. Sheriff’s deputies who were on scene attempting to resolve the situation noticed smoke filling the home and requested help from the fire department.
The fire station that was nearby wasn’t far – station 12 in the Coal Mountain area. It was just minutes before midnight when emergency crews arrived and began to assess the situation. They confirmed the home did have smoke coming from a fire they believed to be in the basement.
Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers says that what began as a simple structure fire quickly turned dangerous in the first few minutes of the operation. “They entered the home and began an initial fire attack. It was a four-man crew. Shortly after entering the home with a hose line, conditions changed dramatically and quickly. What was a workable structure fire changed almost instantly to a fire that overtook them as it grew.”
Shivers says they believe that the fire crew experienced a flashover. A flashover is the sudden involvement of a room or an area in flames from floor to ceiling caused by thermal radiation feedback. Shivers explains further, “all the contents in a room reach ignition point at the same time and with just a little bit of oxygen, it all happens in an instant. It’s a very dangerous situation.”
The firefighters were able to escape, but not without injuries. Three of the four firefighters were burned, sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
The first firefighter who was on the nozzle sustained significant burns to his upper extremities in his hands, and the bottoms of his arms were burned significantly. His teammates were able to pull him from the fire and put him in a waiting ambulance where he was immediately taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
The other two crew members both sustained burns, as well, but were not as significant, by comparison. The second crew member on the hose line sustained second-degree burns to his ears. He was injured and in pain, according to Shivers, but was not transported by ambulance.
The third firefighter had some minor first-degree burns, as well.
“We are most concerned, of course, about the firefighter transported to Grady. He is alert and conscious, except when in treatment, but has a very long road ahead of him. He is a husband and a father,” says Shivers. “And if any of your readers don’t mind, that would care to offer up a few thoughts and prayers for our troops and their families, it would be very much appreciated.”
The firefighter will have several days of surgery and care in the immediate future and then an undetermined, but lengthy, recovery in the weeks and months ahead.
Other fire crews were able to respond to the fire at the home and control it, but Shivers says the home is a total loss.
An investigation is underway, but it appears that the fire was intentionally set. Shivers says that means some serious charges could be made soon. “We are investigating this as arson. And one that injured three of our troops, at that.”
