FF's injured

[lilyogi]

I thought I would pass this on.

www.wqad.com

Davenport, IA
3 firefighters injured in Friday night blaze

A fire broke out at Nichols Aluminum in Davenport just before 11-o'clock Friday night. 28 year-old firefighter Nate Wilson suffered serious burns to his face and hands when a smoldering area erupted in flames. He is in serious but gaurded condition after being airlifted to the U niversity of I owa hospital in I owa City.



The two other firefighters, Gary Sade and Mike Ryan were treated and released from a local hospital.




Investigators and plant workers spent the day Saturday trying to figure out how a nearly extinguished fire put those three fire fighters in the hospital. Crews say it was a flash fire, or one that burns very sudden and very hot.



The blaze started in a bag house where dust and smoke particles gather. The materials that collect there generally don't burn, that's why this fire is puzzling investigators.



Dennis Hoaglin, Nichols Aluminum Safety Manager says, “Ordinarily you think of the material in the bag houses as ash, material that's already been burned. That's one reason we're investigating, to determine the exact nature of the material that was in the bag house that was burning last night.”



Hoaglin says the investigation could take a while because of the location of the fire and the serious injuries that resulted from the blaze. If you'd like to help loved ones of firefighter Nate Wilson, a fund has been set up for donations. You can send them to the Fire Department Credit Union at 2238 Jersey Ridge Road in D avenport, or you can call 563-391-7521.

[trainer]

Yog, was this the fire that I herd the box alarm for? RIA and I think Moline got called

[lilyogi]

No. That was probably one in Bettendorf earlier in the week.
Rumor is that you could hardly identify his helmet it was burnt so bad.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Firefighters and the Davenport FD

[S8ER95Z]

Wow My thoughts and prayers as well...

[medicmaster]

I just saw on WQAD last night that he had been extubated and was walking around the burn unit...that sounds pretty positive!

[lilyogi]

Heard the other day that Nate is expected to come home in the next few days. Sounds like he has a long road to recovery with lots of therapy.

From my understanding he was they were doing clean up and notcied the bag house door was hot. He opened it to check it and it flashed. My understanding was he was wearing an SCBA but had taken his hood down, he was wearing some type of extrication gloves instead of FF gloves.

Who doesn't change gloves when picking up, at least he had his SCBA on or I think he may have not made it.

Again, I am going by what I have heard not hard facts.

**my opinions or comments do not represent the organizations that I represent**

[lilyogi]

Area Firefighters Support Injured Davenport Firefighter
March 27, 2006, 08:40 AM CST
www.kwqc.com

Firefighters tell us they are all brothers all part of the same family even if they live in cities separated by a river. On Sunday Moline firefighters serving up flapjacks at their annual pancake breakfast.

Every year they heat thir home-made griddle, pour batter and flip pancakes for area charities. But this year part of the proceeds are going to Nate Wilson, a Davenport firefighter injured in the line of duty last week.

Jerry Siegel a Moline firefighter, “It's a brotherhood of firefighters and we don't like to see anybody get hurt, and when one does get hurt, we all like to pull together and help out as much as we can.” Frefighters have been holding this breakfast for three years now raising about $5,000 each year and they tell us serving up about 1,800 pancakes each year as well.

We are told Nate Wilson is doing well he's expected to be released from the hospital and headed home in the next few days. When Wilson does get home he'll see some bald fellow fire fighters. On Monday at least 30 fire fighters from Davenport are scheduled to get a hair cut to help Nate Wilson. The 30 fire fighters will be shaving their heads to pay tribute to Wilson who had his hair burned off by the fire.