Jan. 03--A Byron firefighter injured in a house blaze Friday afternoon returned to active duty the same day, the fire chief says.
Steven Smith, 36, was treated and released from The Medical Center of Central Georgia, where he was taken after a garage ceiling beam broke off during the fire and knocked him to the ground, said Byron Fire Chief J.D. Mosby.
"Fortunately, it was a glancing blow," Mosby said.
Smith, a three-year-member of the combined paid and volunteer fire department, was struck on the helmet and shoulder by the about 350-pound beam, Mosby said.
Smith was exiting the house fire through the attached garage when the beam gave way, Mosby said.
The fire destroyed the single story home, with the cause of the fire under investigation by Peach County authorities, Mosby said.
Byron firefighters assisted Peach County firefighters in battling the blaze, he said.
No one was at home when the fire started, Mosby said.
