Denver Equipment Malfunction Investigated

The breathing equipment used by a Denver firefighter was the focus of a probe into why he was overcome while fighting a Denver house fire Sunday evening. Sean Wendt, 39, was apparently overcome by heavy smoke in the basement, and went down after telling his crew from Station 15 that he was having trouble breathing. He collapsed and lost consciousness after he was pulled out of the home. The fire occurred at about 7 p.m. in the 2300 block of Poplar Street. He was upgraded to fair condition at Denver Health Medical Center. "He was talking, awake and alert when they brought him in," said Heather Green, a spokeswoman for the Denver Fire Department. "They are concerned about damage to his airways." Wendt is an eight-year veteran of the Denver Fire Department. The fire started in the basement and quickly moved up through the rest of the house. Officials say the smoke was very thick and intense, especially in the basement of the home, and that's what caused the firefighter to collapse. "There is no way to get the heat out of those basements and conditions get very scary very quickly," said Fire Department spokesman Larry Trujillo. It was not immediately known if his breathing apparatus malfunctioned. "Part of their daily routines is to go in and check these masks. And it's incumbent upon these firefighters to do a complete test, and in my opinion, I'm sure Sean Wendt and all these firefighters are doing that. It's part of just showing up to work. That's the first you do when you put yourself in service is to test these masks," Trujillo said. Wendt is married and has three children. It not known yet when he will be released from the hospital. A second firefighter, 25-year-old John Gonzales, was also injured. The three-year department veteran suffered a sprained right ankle battling the flames and is doing OK. A third firefighter, who has not been named, was taken to the hospital Monday morning complaining of back injuries. The four people living in the home were able to get out safely, but they said they have now lost everything. Investigators are looking at the possibility that his oxygen mask malfunctioned. "I just went to send my heart out to the firefighter and his family. I hope that he makes it. I guess we will get over this but just, it's a life, and I just want to make sure he's OK because he got hurt trying to help us," said fire victim Debra Green. Green, a single mother, rented the house from her father. The house has been in her family for generations. Nearly everything in the house was destroyed, except for a few mementos from her nephew, Jason Craft, who is in the NFL. Craft used to play for Colorado State University and the Jacksonville Jaguars but he now plays for New Orleans Saints. "This was a family home. This is something we had for years," said the Green's sister, Darlene Harding. "We grew up in this home and like I said, our grandkids, great grandkids grew up in this home. This was devastating to lose everything, to go through this. It's very hard." "My mom grew up in that house. Man, everything in my grandmother's house is gone. How do you replace that?" said Shalynn Green. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire. The incident occurred just five months after a Denver firefighter died of injuries he suffered in a house fire. An autopsy showed Lt. Richard Montoya suffered brain damage because of a lack of oxygen. An investigation revealed his air mask may have come off during the fire last May. It is believed a mattress fell on him, dislodging his air mask. Montoya, 61, was found in a back bedroom by fellow firefighters and died a few days later. Previous Stories: October 23, 2006: Denver Firefighters Injured Battling Blaze May 25, 2006: Mourners Pay Tribute To Fallen Firefighter May 21, 2006: Veteran Denver Firefighter Dies From Injuries May 17, 2006: Family Of Injured Firefighter Hopeful For Full Recovery May 15, 2006: Firefighter, Teen Still Critical After Weekend Blaze May 13, 2006: Denver Firefighter Injured Battling Blaze May 11, 2006: Injured Firefighter Released From Hospital May 10, 2006: Denver Firefighter Improving, Joking With Family May 9, 2006: Denver Firefighter Collapses; Investigators Look At Regulator