2 Firefighters, 2 Police Officers Sustain Injuries In Blaze That Destroyed Utah County Home
Feb 21, 2020, 5:29 AM | Updated: 2:06 pm
SPRINGVILLE, Utah – Two Springville firefighters and two Springville police officers were injured during a fire that destroyed a Utah County home on Friday, authorities said.
Two have since been released from the hospital, and two are still being monitored, authorities said.
The fire began at approximately 4 a.m at 1526 Hobble Creek Haven Road in an unincorporated area near Springville. The family was able to get out safely, and it took crews between 15 – 20 minutes to get to the scene.
Home completely destroyed by fire early this morning in Springville
working to confirm details for #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/37sTZMiCBj
— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) February 21, 2020
Craig Martinez, Springville director of public safety, said the firefighters were injured when the roof collapsed on them.
“We were inside a portion of the home, trying to attack the fire from the ceiling area, trying to knock it down,” he said. “… They were inside kind of pulling some of the ceiling down, fighting the fire that had gotten into the attic, when there was a partial roof collapse.”
One of the firefighters was pinned beneath some of the fallen debris. Another firefighter’s breathing apparatus was damaged, which led to smoke inhalation. They were unable to immediately exit, Martinez said.
“The back door they tried to get out of was blocked by some snow,” he said. “… They really couldn’t get out. And the firefighter had his leg stuck. They couldn’t pull him out, either.”
Martinez said five officers at the scene began breaking windows in order to free the trapped firefighters. They were eventually able to get the crew members free. Two of the police officers were injured during the event.
It’s unclear how the fire began, and the incident is under investigation.
