FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Two firefighters were injured battling a house fire in sub-zero temperatures on Old Monongah Road in Fairmont Wednesday morning.
Fairmont Fire Department Fire Prevention and Training Captain Dustin Lambert said two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
“It was not cold-related but heat-related from the fire,” Lambert said. “One with some minor smoke inhalation and one with some minor first-degree burns.”
Lambert said the call came in around 7:40 a.m. Additional firefighters were called to the scene due to complications caused by the extreme cold weather.
“The first engine company arrived with smoke showing, but no visible flames,” Lambert said. “It was a one-story home with an attached garage in the basement where it seemed like most of the fire was.”
Lambert said those living of the house were able to escape thanks to operational smoke alarms.
As the firefighters began their attack, the flames inside the home continued to grow, causing the units to briefly retreat.
“During the attack the conditions were rapidly deteriorating, and they had to pull back, reassess, and re-approach the fire,” Lambert said.
Firefighters struggle with the vital air masks that allow them to breathe clean oxygen while inside burning structures. Lambert said the moisture from their breath was enough to cause the breathing apparatuses to freeze and not work. While the fire was being fought, fighters were also fighting to keep their personal protective equipment operational as well.
“The moisture from your breath can complicate things there and cause them to not work correctly,” Lambert said. “They had to work through that struggle and constantly put things back into the truck to thaw out.”
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Story by Mike Nolting, WAJR