Two Fort Worth firefighters are hospitalized one in critical but stable condition, after being trapped inside a firetruck that rolled over while responding to a call overnight Tuesday.
The call was to a house fire in the 4500 block of Pecos Drive.
Lance Trees rents a room in the garage of the home but says he happened to be sleeping on the sofa in the living room when his landlord, who also lives there, smelled smoke.
"Opened the garage door and that's when everything hit us in the face. Black smoke hit us all in the face and heat, as well, it was really hot. Scary. Scary is what it was," said Trees.
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He said he tried to keep flames from spreading until help arrived. He said seeing the fire trucks brought relief but didn't realize until about 12 hours later that one fire engine never made it.
"My heart, prayers go out to his family, to the first responder who was injured. He was coming out here to save our lives and he actually needs saving himself," said Trees.
According to the Fort Worth Police, the single-vehicle crash occurred at about 2:30 a.m. near the intersection of Wilbarger Street and Village Creek Road, about five minutes from the house fire.
While driving to the fire, officials said the driver of the fire engine lost control of the vehicle and the engine rolled over, trapping two of the four firefighters inside. No other cars appear to have been involved.
“Their injuries range from strains and sprains to fractures, and one has a head injury," Fire Chief Jim Davis said Tuesday afternoon.
Davis said the driver and a back passenger were released from the hospital, while a firefighter in the back remains hospitalized, as well as the officer in the front right passenger seat, who was hit the hardest.
One of the firefighters is expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, while the other remains in critical condition with signs of improvement, according to an update from Fort Worth Fire Department.
He said a couple of good Samaritans stopped to help, but the details are still hazy as the investigation continues.
The Fort Worth Police Department is handling the investigation and said on Tuesday afternoon that they had not yet interviewed any of the firefighters on the truck, wanting to give them some time to rest and recover.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Davis said the truck was on its 9th or 10th run of the day, and second fire of the day.
“That’s a very busy engine company. It’s a very busy area of the city," he said.
He said the crew was experienced on the job, and in the area, and was familiar with the route.
"One of the things I think remains to be determined is there’s construction in the area, there’s some road changes, closures, bridgework, bridge maintenance," he said, adding that he wasn't sure that had anything to do with the accident, but was one possibility under investigation.
Davis said the engine was not a ladder truck, but an engine, equipped with a water tank and hoses.
“These vehicles don’t handle the way that our cars at home do," he said.
He said all their fire truck drivers go through training and are certified by the state.
Michael Glynn, president of the Fort Worth Firefighters Association Local 440, said altogether, the crew on the truck had over 70 years of experience, and the driver had over a decade of experience behind the wheel.
“It’s a seasoned crew, they’re firefighters that want to be there," Glynn said.
He was surprised to find out that out of the more than 1,000 firefighters he represents, the two hospitalized are good friends of his.
“It was a tough pill to swallow this morning," he said. "Two of them were my classmates, we went through rookie school together. January 9, 2006, we met.”
Glynn had been at JPS Hospital in Fort Worth meeting with their families.
“It’s tough when you see the families and when you see the loved ones there waiting. Waiting to hear some good news. Praying that they’re going to hear some good news," he said.
He said members plan to remain at JPS "around the clock" to not only stand watch over their members but to support the hospital staff that's been tending to them.
“Our firefighters are always there for our community, and right now, we need the community’s prayers for their recovery and healing,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
Officials said a different station handled the fire at the home on Pecos. The initial call about the fire said there were four adults and two children at the home. Fire officials confirmed one person was injured in that house fire, though the age of the victim and the severity of their injuries are not yet known.
As the investigation continues, fire officials say it has been tough working an incident involving one of their own.
“It's a little bit of a different dynamic when you show up and you know the people that are hurt and injured. We talk about the brotherhood and the sisterhood quite a bit in the fire service. And so this is one of those calls to where our hearts go out to the families. I mean, some of these families, we know their wives, we know their kids, things of that nature," said Craig Trojacek, public information officer for the Fort Worth Fire Department. “It's tough to explain, but it sure does hit hard when you roll up and you look at the faces that are injured and you know who those people are. So our crews are dealing with that.”
Police Chief Neil Noakes said his traffic investigators responded to the accident. He said each case is difficult, but even more so when it involves other first responders.
“I have to say, when it is someone you know, when it’s someone you work alongside, you serve alongside, someone whose job is to help others and now they find themselves in need of help, that can be even more impactful to all the first responders who arrive on scene," Noakes said.
He asked neighbors to check their cameras for any footage leading up to, or of the accident, because it may help in their investigation.
