The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
(TNS)
Jan. 15—One person was rescued from the roof and a firefighter fell through a hole in the floor during an apartment fire at 2302 Locust St. on Sunday morning.
The alarm came at 6:51 a.m. and both shifts of firefighters were present for shift change, so both responded, said Terre Haute Fire Chief Bill Berry.
Training Minutes: Rescuing a Firefighter Who Has Fallen Through the Floor
Firefighters arriving saw smoke and flames showing and one person on the roof. That person was rescued by ladder and not injured, the chief said in an email.
Firefighters then attacked the fire from the inside. During interior attack, one firefighter fell through second-story floor. Other firefighters pulled that firefighter back up through hole, and the firefighter was taken to Regional Hospital for evaluation.
A second alarm was called to bring in more firefighters, the chief said.
Fire was controlled within the first hour, the chief said, and firefighters remained on scene throughout the morning.
Cadaver dogs were called in due to hoarder-type of conditions in half of the structure and the amount of occupants known to live in the apartments, the chief said. This was just a precaution, he added.
“Personally, I want to let the public know how dedicated and professional our firefighters are, Berry said. “Having our brothers and sisters of this department stay after a 24-hour shift to assist with the on-coming shift helped save lives today. Also, the quick response of our own firefighters responding to one of our own down was mitigated quickly preventing further injury.”
The chief also thanked Terre Haute police, Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross, as well as nearby fire departments for coming in to help staff Terre Haute stations during the fire.
The fire remains under investigation.
Read More: https://www.fireengineering.com/news/firefighter-goes-through-floor-one-rescue-in-in-apartment-fire/
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