Firefighter recovering after seriously burned in Gaston County house fire

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By Stephanie Tinoco and DaShawn Brown

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A firefighter was injured in a house fire Friday night on Sugarcane Lane in Gaston County, officials said.

Firefighters with the New Hope and Union Road Fire Departments said they were responding to the fire when a member of the New Hope fire department fell through a floor into a crawl space that was well-involved with fire.

Officials said the firefighter was pulled from the hole quickly, but he suffered second-degree burns to both his legs.

He was being treated at the hospital for possible second-degree burns.

Neighbors said they heard an explosion.

“It sounded like a bomb went off,” neighbor Renee Harwell said. “It was so loud that it shook our house inside.”

Officials said they will not release the injured firefighter’s name out of respect for his privacy.

[PHOTOS: Firefighter injured in Gaston County house fire Friday night]

Officials said the injured firefighter was wearing National Fire Protection Association compliant gear, and that the gear helped keep the injuries to a minimum.

The department said the injured firefighter was a veteran who was certified and had extensive training.

“I was just praying that God takes care of him and that He's with him and watching over him,” Harwell said.

Neighbors who watched the devastation and the aftermath that followed were left heartbroken

“Breaks my heart. The family, the house. They have no home,” Harwell said.

in lieu of donations to the family of the injured firefighter, the family has requested that people donate to their local Burned Children’s Foundation.

“We have the best gear available to us, and we know the risk involved in fighting fire,” officials said. “(He) made a conscious choice to do this work; the children affected by a fire or burn injuries never had that choice.”

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