December 21, 2005 - At 9:17 am, Salisbury Station 2 was alerted for a automatic fire alarm activation at a local boat building facility.
Engine 1-1 arrived on location with light smoke showing from a sawdust collection hopper.
The crew of Engine 1-1 advanced an attack line to catwalk where the access panel was located. The crew opened the access door releasing light smoke and called for the line to be charged. The line was opened to wet down some of the smoldering sawdust when what is believed to be a dust explosion occurred.
The officer of Engine 1-1 was caught in the explosion causing burns to the face, head, and neck area. The other firefighter on the catwalk was able to escape injury.
The engineer of Engine 1-1 called dispatch and advised to strike a first alarm assignment they had a officer down. The crew then provided medical care while workers used a scissor jack lift to lower the injured officer to the ground.
Engine 16-1 arrived on location established a water source for Engine 1-1 and started to make access to the catwalk. Unknown to the crew of Engine 16-1 the method in which the injuries to the officer of Engine 1-1 were sustained.
Engine 16-1 had three firefighters of the catwalk when they opened the line again to wet the sawdust down. Again, a dust explosion occurred, enveloping two of the three members completely within the fire blast.
The two firefighters fell to the deck where they laid waiting to be evacuated from the catwalk. The crew of Truck 16, with assistance from the remaining crews of Engine 1-1 and Engine 16-1, removed the injured acting officer and firefighter of Engine 16-1 from the catwalk.
A ladder pipe was set up on Truck 16 and opened on the sawdust. Again, an explosion occurred but no firefighters were in harms way. Truck 16 then proceeded to flood the entire hopper with water.
The additional weight of the water caused some of the dusting inside the building to fall from the ceiling. The hopper was opened at the bottom to release all contents.
Crews cautiously approached the catwalk to wet down the hot spots with no incident.
Two of the injured firefighters were treated and released from Peninsula Regional Medical Center's Emergency Room. The third firefighter was treated and transferred in stable condition to a burn center in Baltimore for overnight observation.
Units responding were: E1-1, E16-1, E210, E1, TRK16, TRK74, R16, R74, AL2, PM2, PM16, PM16-1, PM16-2, AC1, DC1, DC2, Chief 1, and U16; and Multiple Moveups.
