Firefighters injured in Clearfield County warehouse fire
Two firefighters were injured early Thursday morning during a battle with a fully-involved warehouse fire in Bradford Township, Clearfield County.
Fifteen fire companies responded to the building fire at Walker Lumber in Bradford Township shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night. A rescue tanker from Hope Fire Company in Philipsburg was dispatched to the scene after 11 p.m.
Crews from Hope, Columbia and other fire companies were working on an interior wall when there was a collapse, injuring at least two firefighters. Tyler Thomas, a 19-year-old Hope firefighter from Morrisdale, was trapped in the rubble and a mayday was declared, according to the fire company.
Firefighters from Hope and other companies operating on scene used hydraulic rescue tools to free Thomas, who was transported by Clearfield EMS to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.
The other firefighter was transported for an arm injury, according to a Facebook post from Columbia Fire Company. His company and status are unknown.
Thomas, who was trapped for six minutes under a pallet of wood and other debris, suffered a fracture in his lower back and some muscle and nerve damage from the incident, according to a post on his Facebook page. He will need to see a spine specialist and take time off work, he said.
Thomas was released from the hospital early Thursday morning and is recovering at home, Philipsburg Assistant Fire Chief Justin Butterworth said.
“We’re all glad that he’s, you know, home ... and his injuries weren’t more severe, or more serious than they were. (We’re) thankful that things turned out the way they did,” he said.
In his Facebook post, Thomas thanked the firefighters on scene who rescued him.
“Right now I’m having a hard time walking, but that will go away in time. I’m just thankful to be alive and be able to type this today,” he wrote. “... I want to thank every single person that was there last night, and although those few minutes felt like hours, you all did exactly what you needed to do and for that I’m thankful.”
He asked that the community keep him in their thoughts and prayers, as “your thought(s), prayers and messages mean more than you all will ever know,” he wrote. “I might be down right now, but it’s just a bump in the road. Never take anything in your life for granted, it can all be taken from you in less than 1 second.”
In addition to Hope and Columbia fire companies, crews from Clearfield Borough, BJW, Lawrence Township, Glen Richey, Hyde, Goshen Township, Wallaceton, Morris Township, Winburne, Grassflat, Houtzdale, Chester Hill and Rescue Hose and Ladder fire companies responded to the blaze.
Crews didn’t finish clearing the scene until after 4 a.m. Thursday, said Butterworth.
This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 8:20 AM.