SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) – A Springfield firefighter remains in the hospital after a house fire left five crewmembers injured.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, crews responded to a fire in on the 600 block of Rice Street. By the time crews arrived, four adults and one dog had safely escaped the building.
According to a release, crews were working on the second floor when the fire suddenly took off and firefighters were ordered to evacuate.
As crews hurried to leave the now extreme heat, one firefighter, James Baise, fell down a flight of stairs, injuring his neck. Several other firefighters got outside before they realized that Baise hadn’t made it out of the building. The firefighters re-entered the building where they found Baise at the bottom of the stairs and removed him from the building.
Baise was brought to Miami Valley Hospital with what was thought to be critical injuries, Chief Brian Miller said, but he has now stabilized. He remains at Miami Valley Hospital.
“The symptoms he was experiencing have steadily improved during his hospital stay. Treatment overnight further improved his condition,” Miller said in a release. “It is too early to predict a final outcome; however we have many positive reasons to think a full recovery is possible.”
Many of the firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and exhaustion due to the extreme heat. Four firefighters, Captain Derek Shenfield, Firefighter Kevin Whalen, Firefighter Nick Woolever and Firefighter Colton Harsh were brought to Springfield Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released the same day.
Miller asked that the division members and the families of the injured firefighters be given privacy during this time.