An FDNY firefighter badly hurt as he helped battle flames that broke out at a house on Staten Island is awake and recovering at a hospital, department officials said Saturday.
The blaze broke out just before 8:30 p.m. Friday at a three-story townhouse on Gary Court in the Bulls Head neighborhood, police said. Arriving fire crews could see flames coming from the top floor windows.
FDNY officials on Saturday said the injured firefighter was inside the residence when his face piece came loose, causing him to breathe in "super-heated" gases. He was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital where he was intubated in hopes of protecting his airway.
By the next day, the FDNY said the man's condition and greatly improved, saying he was awake but still intubated Saturday afternoon.
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An initial investigation of the fire deemed the cause accidental, sparking from a power strip in the home. FDNY officials credited working smoke alarms in helping everyone get out safely.
