3 Houston firefighters injured while battling fire at apartment complex
Houston firefighters at the scene of a fire on Jarmese Street.
HOUSTON - Three Houston firefighters were injured after becoming trapped in a burning apartment building on Tuesday morning, officials say.
Around 5:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a report of an apartment fire with people trapped on Jarmese Street near Coffee Street.
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According to a release, authorities said that within minutes of arriving, crews from Station 46 conducted a primary search while other worked to control the fire.
A mayday was called and the firefighters were rescued by fellow firefighters. The mayday also triggered a second alarm for additional manpower, and due to the quick rescue, several additional Houston Fire Department units were disregarded.
Officials say three firefighters sustained burns to their necks, backs and hands. They were taken to the hospital. Their injuries are said to be significant, but they are reportedly in "good spirits".
The firefighters have been identified as:
- Senior Captain Edward Escamilla, hired in September 2003 by HFD.
- Firefighter Darren Jones, hired in October 2022 by HFD.
- Firefighter Jonathan Guzman, hired in January 2020 by HFD.
Senior Captain Edward Escamilla (left), Firefighter Jonathan Guzman (middle), and Firefighter Darren Jones (right). (Source: X)
During a news conference on Tuesday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Houston Fire Chief Muñoz praised the quick work of firefighter Angel Gaitan, who recently was rehired by the department under the new "Reignite Your Passion" campaign. Firefighter Gaitan is credited with breaching the door and rescuing the injured firefighters. He graduated in the inaugural class of rehires on December 12, 2024.
Crews later contained and tapped out the fire just before 6 a.m. with two units of the 12-unit apartment building suffering from about $100,000 in total estimated damage. CenterPoint was requested to secure the electricity. The American Red Cross was notified and is assisting eight families with emergency shelter to ensure their safety as they begin the recovery process.
HFD Arson investigators were requested to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
In all, 85 personnel responded to the fire.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Houston Fire Department.