Air Packs Melted on Houston Firefighters' Backs as Flashover Occurs
The air packs and gear melted as Houston firefighters encountered a flashover while trapped in a burning apartment Tuesday morning.
The three firefighters from Station 46 -- Capt. Edward Escamilla and firefighters Darren Jones and Jonathan Guzman -- suffered serious burns to their neck, hands and legs.
They ran into one of the burning units to search and were trapped when a door fell. After calling Mayday, they were rescued by a colleague, who was recetly rehired, KHOU reported.
"That person had been with us for three weeks now and he was able to rip the door out. He was a big, strong guy that was able to rip the door out," Houston Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said at a press conference.
The firefighters' air packs, helmets, and other gear melted due to the extreme heat during a flashover, which caused the temperature to rise significantly.
They were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital for treatment where they were awake and alert late Tuesday afternoon.
"Their equipment melted, their air packs melted on their backs. Their helmets were melted. They were very close to losing their lives," Mayor John Whitmire said.
Officials added that their equipment did its job but was compromised.
Munoz and Whitmire said it's a blessing that they survived.
"Today was a reminder of what we do each and every day. Our men and women of this fire department, this great fire department, putting their lives on the line for each and every resident of Houston," Muñoz said.
