Three Houston firefighters were rescued after a mayday was issued while battling a multi-alarm blaze Thursday.
As many as 150 firefighters responded to the fire, which broke out just after 8 a.m.at a corner store in the city's downtown, KHOU-TV reports. The block surrounding the blaze already has been evacuated as crews tackle the fire, which Fire Chief Sam Peña characterized as "stubborn," according to the Houston Chronicle.
A mayday call went out after a firefighter in a three-person crew suffered heat exhaustion while on one of the building's upper floors, a department spokeswoman told the Chronicle. The firefighters eventually made it to the roof, where they were brought safely to the ground via ladder bucket.
"We met with the injured firefighter at the hospital," the department stated in an online update. "He is stable and his family has been notified."
The other two rescued firefighters "are safe and at the scene," the department added.
Crews are planning to flood the building's basement in order to put the fire at its source, according to the Houston Chronicle. But officials are concerned that the basement is electrified, which could lead to shutting down the grid as a safety precaution, KHOU added.
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