FDNY officials Saturday afternoon said the firefighter who sustained serious burns at a Staten Island house fire Friday night will make a full recovery.
In video captured before firefighters arrived at the scene (watch it below), flames were seen shooting from the upper floor around 8:30 p.m.
The firefighter — from the station housing Engine 153 and Ladder 77 — lost control of the hose which knocked off his facepiece, FDNY officials told the New York Post.
The firefighter sustained burns to the esophagus after inhaling the toxic, heated smoke.
“While his injuries were serious, we are very lucky thanks to the swift work of our firefighters, members of EMS and all of the residents at the Staten Island Burn Center,” FDNY Acting Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at a press conference at Staten Island University Hospital, North.
FDNY Chief of Department James Hodgens said the member is intubated, but "He’s sitting up in bed, awake and he’s doing much better.”
Officials said firefighters encountered difficult conditions trying to enter the structure, CBS New York reported. They were able to rescue an occupant from the third floor who suffered minor injuries.
Fire investigators were still on scene hours later trying to determine the cause of the fire and what lead to the firefighter's injuries.
