WATSON — Three firefighters were injured Sunday night while battling a blaze at a shop behind a home on Hwy. 1019 in the Watson area.
Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 5 responded to a call for a fire around 7 p.m. on Jan. 25. Fire Chief Joe Koczrowski said his department had just finished helping with a call of another house fire in Denham Springs when they responded to this one.
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On the scene, firefighters began battling the blaze of a large, metal barn shop building. There were multiple vehicles inside, along with gas cans, propane tanks and other flammable items, the chief told UWK.
Koczrowski said a few of the men fighting the flames were caught in a “flash over,” which is where the gases in the building built up and then ignited at one time, causing a flash of fire onto the firefighters. While their gear protected them from the brunt of the fire’s effects, the wet gear steamed, leaving three men with minor injuries.
In addition, their helmets came off in the process and their heads were minorly burned, the chief explained.
“A couple of them, when they were pulling them out, got burnt just because people were grabbing their gear, trying to get them out and touched it, but they’re all home now,” Koczrowski said. He added that it’s similar to getting a sunburn.
The injured firefighters were released from the hospital overnight and are back home, the chief said. They all have minor burn injuries and will be seen in outpatient care now.
The metal building is deemed a total loss. The house was not burned.
When the firefighters were injured, Koczrowski’s crew put in a mayday call, and other area fire districts responded. Altogether, around 20 first responders came out.
“I appreciate all the help from District Four, and appreciate Acadian Ambulance. They were right on the spot. They had six ambulances there. They showed up in full force and took care of us,” Koczrowski said.
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