During an otherwise ordinary overhaul following a suspicious fire at a vacant home late last month, the chief of the West Point Volunteer Fire Department nearly lost an eye.
Hundreds of rounds of ammunition were stored inside the house on County Road East 1400 North crews responded to on Jan. 23 and firefighters heard bullets explode inside the vacant structure, but none of them thought they were in danger of being hit.
"I thought I lost it," Fire Chief Gary Cheesman told WLFI-TV. "I thought 'this old house, that's worth nothing, and I lose an eye over it.' "
The incident occurred after Cheesman walked around to the rear of the structure to discuss the next steps with firefighters as the flames were dying down. He was operating the pumper truck at the fire and didn't have his helmet on since he was wearing a radio around his head.
"There was a bang that went off," he said. "It felt like someone punched me."
A primer cap from a .223 caliber bullet entered in the corner of his eye and lodged behind the eyeball.
Paramedics rushed him to the hospital and he needed to undergo surgery last week to get the primer cap out.
Cheesman said the vision in his eye is getting better, but that it's still a bit blurry.
Doctors are hopeful he regains the vision in his eye completely in four to eight weeks.
The volunteer chief told the news station he's been overwhelmed by the support of his fellow firefighters since the incident and that he hopes his story serves a reminder to other responders to always wear protective eye gear.
Authorities have determined the fire to be the work of an arsonist and are currently looking for the person responsible.
