A Florida volunteer firefighter suffered a broken leg after he was struck by a train while battling a wildfire Tuesday.
The incident happened as firefighters were responding to a 3- to 4-acre brush fire in Fort Meade in Polk County, WFLA-TV reports. That's when a Fort Meade firefighter was struck by a train after crews had contained the flames and kept them from spreading to nearby buildings.
Sheriff's office officials told WFLA that firefighters were trying to control the fire when a CSX train approached. A firefighter spotted an open vehicle door and ran to close it, but he couldn't avoid the oncoming train.
We know how dangerous the job is. We still wake up everyday ready to do it. But today we got a reminder of how fast...
Posted by Fort Meade Fire Department on Tuesday, February 2, 2021
The firefighter was rushed to the hospital as a trauma alert. He was “responsive and talking” with a broken leg, according to the sheriff's office.
