JACKSON, Miss. -- Jackson firefighter Richard Taylor underwent skin graft surgery Monday for third degree burns he suffered after being rescued from a burning church.
Wednesday he talked to WLBT from his hospital room at the Firefighter Regional Burn Center in Memphis.
Taylor said divine intervention is why he is alive.
The Rescue 14 firefighter was trapped on the second floor of the McDowell Road Baptist Church fire when he became disoriented and overcome by the heat.
It was Sunday night October 26 just after nine. That fire has now been ruled an arson case.
With only three minutes of air left Taylor began crying out for help.
"I had to get on my hands and knees and crawl and there were portions of the floor that were so hot the portions of the floor were bubbling up," said Taylor.
His low air alarm was sounding off in the darkness of thick black smoke.
The 4,500 pound tank was losing air fast.
The 32 year old said he then prayed that God would take care of his wife and two daughters.
Taylor said, "Let them know that I love them, and if it's not my time to go could you please send an angel or somebody up the stairwell to find me, and I yelled out one more time can anybody hear me. I need some help. And I heard this small voice say 'Where are you at? Where are you?'"
That was firefighter Corey Landrum who found him and along with firefighter Brian Khun dragged him to safety.
Once outside the back door of the church he collapsed with only 20 seconds of air left.
Taylor's wife Lindsay will be forever grateful to Landrum and Khun.
Like many spouses of firefighters she understands and supports his dedication to saving lives.
"He's really strong, and he loves fighting fire, and he won't stop doing that just because he got burned. He'll continue as soon as he gets out of the hospital and back up on his feet," said Lindsay Taylor.
The four year firefighter believes he suffered third degree burns from his knees to his ankles because only captains have radios, resulting in a lack of communication.
Jackson Fire Chief Vernon Hughes said, "I'm concerned about how he obtained the burns and we are investigating and will make changes so this won't happen to someone else. We will look at how we fought the fire and how he obtained injuries."
Hughes said his department has the highest rated National Fire Protection Association equipment, adheres to its standards and is better equipped than it has been in previous years.
The chief of the state's largest fire department said the city recently purchased new radios, and firefighters have just completed classes on operating the new system which will soon be operational.
When asked why firefighters enter burning buildings that may be vacant Taylor said, "You don't consider a building abandoned until it's been completely searched."
He said it's a firefighter's duty to make sure that a teenage runaway may not be hiding there or that a homeless person finding shelter doesn't get trapped in a burning structured.
Taylor will undergo a second surgery Monday and hopes to be released from the burn center within the following two weeks.
Republished with permission of WLBT-TV.
