Some of the Jacksonville firefighters who rushed into a Springfield home to save an elderly man became trapped by the fast-moving fire.
The fire took place on Friday at a residence in the 1600 block of North Pearl Street and left the home charred.
Firefighters weren't done after they helped the man inside -- flames cornered two of their own inside of the house.
The firefighters who were at the scene told Channel 4's John Dunlap that the call started out fairly normal.
"Typical investigation of smoke in the house. We came and there was a guy standing at the door, waving us in," said firefighter Josh Covelli.
However, the seemingly routine call quickly turned into a near-death experience for the crew of Jacksonville Fire Rescue's crew of engine No. 2.
"It didn't sound like an explosion. It sounded like if you took a match and just whoosh," said Jacksonville firefighter Steve Grant. "I've never seen anything like this, and I hope I never see it again."
What began as an investigation of smoke became a full-blown fire, with Covelli and Lt. Mark Kruger firefighters trapped inside.
"He said he had found the fire. So, we were getting the hose lines to get in the extinguisher," said Kruger.
Covelli said he heard his lieutenant calling for him from a front room when the home became fully engulfed with flames and the fire cut him off.
Covelli was able to escape through the back door, where ladder No. 1 was opening a passage.
Kruger had no idea what had happened in the other rooms.
"I was on fire and one of my friends, a lieutenant on ladder No. 1 actually beat me out and put me out," Kruger said.
He said his personal well-being was the least of his worries because Covelli had been in the house with no hose.
His worries subsided when he saw Covelli outside of the burning house. Everyone got out of the building safely.
Kruger suffered minor burns.
