"I've never had one like this," Mesa, AZ, Captain Says of Fire Conditions
"I've had a fair amount of fire in my career, I've never had one like this. Never had one that had interior conditions changing as fast as they did...This was kind of a new thing for me."
That's how Mesa Capt. Brook Tidwell described the close call he and other firefighters experienced in a house fire Monday afternoon.
He was in the bedroom when the heard a loud bang as the roof collapsed and the ceiling started to crumble.
Tidwell said the conditions suddenly escalated due to the high heat and low visibility, so the crew of firefighters decided to break through a bedroom window and exit.
Four suffered minor injuries, 12 News reported.
Mesa IAFF Local 2260 Firefighters were able to safely escape through a bedroom window today after becoming trapped by a roof collapse on a large house fire. Crews train on different techniques to rescue themselves and others in these instances. We are thankful for the safety of our members, and are happy to report that all injuries were minor."
A grill fire quickly spread up the wall of the house. A resident and a dog escaped without injury.
