Texas Firefighters Hurt Battling Farmhouse Blaze
Source Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Nov. 23--FORT WORTH -- Two firefighters were injured Wednesday morning while battling a stubborn blaze at a vacant farmhouse near the Haltom City border.
Both men have been released from the hospital, according to authorities.
Rookie firefighter Matthew Goode suffered a broken leg when a piece of roof collapsed and struck him, knocking him off a ladder, authorities said.
About 90 minutes later, firefighter Courtney Pennington was injured when the floor collapsed as he walked through the house putting out hot spots. He dislocated his shoulder as he fell to the basement.
Goode graduated from the Firefighter Academy on Oct. 21, while Pennington has been with the department for four years, according to a news release from the Fort Worth Fire Department.
The fire was reported about 5:45 a.m. in the 4200 block of East First Street, near Haltom Road.
Once firefighters arrived and determined that no one was inside, they fought the fire from the outside to ensure that no one was injured inside an unstable structure, said Tim Hardeman, a Fire Department spokesman.
Fifteen units responded to the fire, which took several hours to knock down.
The house was built in 1920 and is valued at $44,500, according to the Tarrant County Appraisal District. Damage to the structure was estimated at $36,000.
Mitch Mitchell, 817-390-7752
