Bronx fire leads to injuries for 4 firefighters

A house fire in the Bronx, apparently started by a number of kids who were using a stove top to play with fire, left four firefighters with significant injuries.

The first, a 34-year-old man, was hurt on the scene. He was on the building’s roof, trying to keep the flames from rising, when he didn’t feel well. He was suffering from a heat stroke. He got off the roof before he collapsed, but he still was in critical condition.

The next, who is 51 years old, felt chest pain while fighting the fire and tried to work through it. He eventually ended up in the hospital, also in critical condition, when he had a heart attack.

A lieutenant with the fire department was seriously burned at the scene. He was taken to the hospital and treated. He was then released, suggesting he was in the best condition of the three, despite the severity of the burns. He is 54 years old.

The fourth firefighter was not injured at the blaze, but was hurt in a crash on the way there. The accident happened at Waters Place and Westchester Avenue. The man’s arm was ripped almost entirely off when the firetruck ran into a pole. He got to the hospital, where a medical team attempted to reattach the arm, working late into the night.

Firefighting is one of the most high-risk jobs in New York. Workers who are injured on the job need to know when they are eligible for workers’ compensation, what steps they need to take to collect and much more. This is especially true for serious injuries that could be life-altering, or, at the very least, that could have a dramatic impact on a person’s ability to work.

Source: CBS New York, “3 Firefighters Injured In Bronx Blaze; 4th Nearly Loses Arm Heading To Scene,” Aug. 09, 2016