Feb 5, 2009 6:52 pm US/Pacific
Firefighter Critical, 5 More Also Hurt In SF Blaze
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
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Firefighters battle a fire at a vacant home on Felton St. early Thursday morning.
CBS
Six firefighters were injured Thursday in a three-alarm fire in San Francisco's Portola District, including one who was hospitalized in critical condition with life-threatening respiratory problems.
SFFD Chief Joanne Hayes-White said the 11-year veteran firefighter struggling for his life had inhaled superheated gases when the roof of a burning home collapsed early Thursday, trapping him and other firefighters inside.
The firefighter, whose name was not released, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where Hayes-White described his condition as "very serious."
The 12:30 a.m. blaze gutted the pink two-story vacant house at 637 Felton Street. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
A second firefighter also was hospitalized with first- and second-degree burns, fire Lt. Mindy Talmadge said.
The other four firefighters hurt were treated and released for injuries including second-degree burns, smoke inhalation and a broken ankle, Talmadge said.
At a news conference in front of the home, Hayes-White said both the cause of the fire and the response were being investigated.
"We want to keep ... anyone who was injured in our thoughts and prayers and find out exactly what happened," Hayes-White said.
She said all aspects of the blaze were being looked into, from the breathing equipment the firefighters were using to what sparked the flames. Arson units were called to the scene but that is typical protocol and there was no immediate indication the blaze was set intentionally, she said.
When firefighters arrived early Thursday morning after a neighbor reported the blaze, the smoke was thick, and the attic and a back section of the home were already engulfed in flames, fire officials said.
They immediately called a second alarm. When a section of the roof collapsed, they called a third alarm.
None of the firefighters were actually hit by the roof, but the collapse sent a sudden burst of heat down a hallway, which caused the injuries, Fire Chief of Operations Patrick Gardner said.
The flames were controlled by 1:10 a.m. but firefighters and safety personnel remained on scene throughout the day.
"We'll be here as long as it takes to determine the cause and origin," Hayes-White said.
Gardner said more than 100 firefighters helped battle the flames.
Hayes-White said the six firefighters' injuries have affected the whole department. "We are family," she said.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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