ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. — A firefighter with the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District is recovering at home after injuring his shoulder while responding to a church fire.
According to the press release, around 6 in the morning, the Cornerstone Baptist Church on 6105 Highway Y caught fire.
During the initial fire suppression operation, a DRFPD firefighter entered the structure and fell through the floor and into the basement of the building. The firefighter was rescued from the building by other firefighters, treated on scene and transported to Mercy South Hospital by the St. Francois County Ambulance District. The firefighter was released from Mercy South on Friday afternoon after X-rays showed no serious damage. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The fire appears to have started in the basement of the structure and traveled up into the sanctuary, causing the floor to weaken in the spot where the firefighter fell through.
The origin of the fire is believed to be a lightning strike. The Missouri State Fire Marshal is investigating.
"We are thankful that the firefighter suffered only minor injuries and will make a full recovery. Falling through the floor during a working structure fire is a scenario that our department trains and prepares for to ensure injured firefighters are quickly rescued and evaluated. Due to the other firefighters' quick actions on the scene, the injured firefighter was located, removed from the building, and was immediately placed in the care of the on-scene ambulance for treatment and transportation.
"The firefighter did not suffer any burns because he was protected by his PPE. Life safety is our first priority; that is why we train diligently and study every incident to determine the cause and enhance training,” DRFPD Chief Thomas Fitzgerald said.