Manchester fire captain severely burned during rescue returns to work
A Manchester fire captain who was severely burned during a rescue in November has returned to work.
Capt. Steve Desruisseaux returned to the Manchester Fire Department on Monday after more than seven months of intensive recovery. He's mainly handling administrative duties for now, but he's hoping to get back on the truck by the end of July.
On Nov. 6, Desruisseaux and his crew were battling flames at an apartment fire on Dutton Street. Desruisseaux was on the second floor rescuing a man and a woman when a flashover happened, and the entire building was engulfed.
Desruisseaux was able to rescue the man before he had to bail because of the conditions. He went headfirst down the ladder, but in doing so, his equipment got snagged, leaving him trapped and on fire.
His crew was able to knock the ladder down, sending him tumbling to the ground, a move that he said saved his life.
"It was about 30 seconds or so that we were engulfed in heavy fire conditions, and it felt like forever," Desruisseaux said. "But when I started falling, that was the best feeling I ever had. I remember vividly thinking, 'I have a chance now.'"
Desruisseaux suffered second- and third-degree burns over 35% of his body.
Desruisseaux said it was about a week into his recovery process when he made up his mind that he wanted to return to work as quickly as possible.
He credited his wife, his family, the Manchester Fire Department and the brotherhood of firefighters across New England for being his support and inspiration while recovering.