A South Carolina firefighter suffered serious burns when he became disoriented and trapped after a flashover at a live-fire training exercise Monday.
Tom Jurgensmeyer, 25, suffered second, third, and fourth degree burns over 26 percent of his body, said Whitesville Rural Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tim Stephenson.
"He's in a lot of pain," the chief said. "But his mother told me he's already hitting on the nurses."
Jurgensmeyer has been a volunteer with the department for one year, and has 10 years of fire service experience as both a volunteer and paid firefighter, Stephenson said. He is employed by Berkeley County EMS.
Stephenson said the department was conducting a live-fire training exercise at a single family, one-story dwelling they had acquired. Jurgensmeyer, a lieutenant, was leading a crew of four - himself, another lead firefighter, and two inexperienced firefighters. Then the flashover occurred.
"He pointed the way out for the crew, but in the confusion he became disoriented and trapped in the structure," the chief said. The rest of the crew made it out safely, and three rapid intervention crews, each stationed at different entrances, immediately went to rescue Jurgensmeyer.
Stephenson estimates it was a minute and a half to two minutes from the time of the flashover to the time EMS officials were treating the firefighter.
There were no other injuries at the incident, and the cause of the flashover is under investigation, the chief said. He said all NFPA regulations were followed and the house had been in good condition.
Jurgensmeyer is being treated at the Joseph Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.
Doctors estimate he will be in the burn center for about 30 days, and it will be four to six months before he can return to duty, the chief said. He will require rehabilitation and skin grafting, but, "His mom seems hopeful that he's going to be making a full recovery," Stephenson said.
Stephenson said the close-call has been difficult on firefighters, and this is the first time the department has ever faced a duty-related major injury.
"We are an emotional wreck," he said. Department members met with the fire department chaplain, and will have a critical incident stress debriefing Thursday.
The Whitesville Rural Volunteer Fire Department in Berkeley County, South Carolina, has 32 volunteer firefighters and a full time chief. They serve an area of 58.6 square miles and operate out of two stations with four engines, one ladder, two tankers and two brush trucks. The area is a mix of rural, residential, commercial and industrial.
