Two firefighters injured in Indian Springs house fire
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on September 12, 2007 1:45 PM
INDIAN SPRINGS -- Two firefighters sustained minor injuries Tuesday afternoon fighting a fire that destroyed a couple's Indian Springs home, authorities say.
Homeowners Steven and Rebecca Willis, of 104 Jordan Elizabeth Court, weren't home at the time of the fire, reported around 8 a.m. Tuesday, county Fire Marshal Bryan Taylor said.
The two injured firefighters were from the Dudley Volunteer Fire Department and the Thoroughfare Fire Department, Taylor said.
The fire marshal said that water used to try to extinguish the flames waterlogged a sheet of drywall, causing it to fall on the Dudley firefighter's head.
"The living room area had a 14- to 16-foot cathedral ceiling in it, and a whole sheet of sheet rock came loose due to the weight of the water," the fire marshal said.
Dudley Fire Chief Chester Foss would not release the name of the injured firefighter, who he said was treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital.
Thoroughfare Fire Chief Delbert Edwards could not be reached for comment before deadline.
Taylor said the injured firefighter from that department was also treated and released from an immediate care facility.
The cause of the fire is undetermined. Total damages including contents of the home were estimated at $240,000, the fire marshal said.
Firefighters arrived after 8 a.m. to find the garage in a fully involved fire, the fire marshal said.
"(The flames) had already vented out the windows and the floor by the time the firefighters got there," Taylor said.
The Goldsboro office of the American Red Cross was providing shelter and other help to the Willis couple, the fire marshal said.