Two firefighters from East Avon Fire Department were trapped and one injured during a garage fire at 2374 Poplar Hill Road in Lima on March 5.
Calls came into the Livingston County 911 center about 12:54 a.m. on Saturday, March 5 for a fire in an attached structure to a house. Firefighters from seven area departments: Lima, Rush, East Avon, Livonia, Avon, Lakeville and Hemlock responded to the fire. During the fire, two East Avon firefighters were trapped after a portion of a breezeway’s roof fell on them. The breezeway connected the garage to the house.
Lima Fire Chief Jim Pribanich said members of a FAST team from Livonia helped the two firefighters escape. One suffered second degree burns, was treated at the scene and then taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for further treatment and was then released from the hospital.
A resident of the home was also treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. Ambulances from Lima and Livonia responded to the fire along with Advanced Life Support units from Honeoye Falls and Livonia.
The American Red Cross was assisting the residents of the home.
Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty said the fire apparently started in the attached garage due to hot ashes from a wood stove being put into a container and left in the garage. He released a statement that read:
“This is a good reminder of two very important topics. One, never place hot ashes in your home, near your home or in your out buildings. Two, our volunteer firefighters in Livingston County are simply the best.”
