South Austin fire that injured 4 firefighters highlights danger of the job
AUSTIN, Texas - Late Monday night, the initial call came in for a fire at a home undergoing renovations on Camperdown Elm.
"Between 11:24 p.m. and 11:43 p.m., the fire grew rapidly," said Rachael Lewis, operations public information officer for the Austin Fire Department. "They were shooting water into the attic and the roof collapsed on the firefighters from there."
Four fighters were temporarily trapped but were able to extricate themselves. As of Thursday, all the firefighters had been released from the hospital. AFD did not disclose the details of their injuries.
"It’s a relief to hear that all affected firefighters were able to follow safety procedures and get to safety, and I extend my gratitude for their commitment to duty," said Council member Mackenzie Kelly in a memo written to AFD Chief Joel Baker on Thursday.
A potential roof collapse is something Austin firefighters regularly train for, especially as this specific kind of risk grows.
"With the way that they're building homes these days, it's all lightweight timber frame construction," said Lewis. "And with that, with everything being lightweight and made out of a lot of polyurethane, it burns faster, it burns hotter, and it's more susceptible to collapse than older homes."
The firefighting field comes with a variety of hazards. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 65,650 firefighter injuries happened in the line of duty in 2022.
Locally, in December, a firefighter was hurt while on the job in Southeast Austin.
In May, a firefighter was stabbed during an attempt to stop a man from lighting fires along I-35.
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Lewis said one of their most dangerous tasks is responding to car crashes in the middle of traffic.
"We know the risks that are associated with our job," said Lewis. "And I think one thing that keeps us motivated and keeps us safe is the large amount of training that we do in order to counteract, not necessarily the fear, but being aware of the danger helps us stay safe."
January is also Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, firefighter occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service.
For more information and health resources, click here.