Saturday, August 18, 2012
Early this morning at approximately 0053 hours, fire companies were dispatched to a possible fire in an occupied mobile home near the intersection of Nelson Mill Rd and Valley View, near Nixa, MO. Units from Nixa Fire District were dispatched, along with auto-aid from Ozark, Clever, Highlandville and Battlefield Fire Districts. Companies from Nixa arrived on scene to find a well involved 14’x 66’ mobile home extending to mobile homes on the B & D Sides. Crews immediately assumed a defensive position and began extinguishing the fire encroaching on surrounding exposures.
Battlefield Engine-1 arrived and was assigned to perform a primary search on the B1 exposure. While crews were extending lines and preparing to enter the home, a loud “pop” was heard. One firefighter from Engine-1 went down and a “MAYDAY” was called. ALS Personnel from Nixa Fire District immediately began to assess the firefighter and found a large laceration to the upper left thigh, consistent with an avulsion. The firefighter was stabilized and once the ambulance arrived, he was subsequently transported to Cox South Hospital were he was treated and later released.
One of the Chief Officers, who is also a certified Crime Scene Investigator, provided us the following information.
“Upon hearing of the injury, I responded to the hospital to check the well being of our firefighter. I discovered his injury, even severe, was survivable with limited long term effects. Once relieved of my duties at the hospital by the on-duty shift commander, I responded to the scene where I began my injury/accident investigation to discover what had happened.
The response videos taken by vehicle mounted cameras and helmet cameras were reviewed. The “pop” described by witnesses was consistent with a large caliber weapon or rifle.
I was shown by on scene personnel to the location where the firefighter was standing when the incident occurred. I could see damage to the rear wall of the B1 Exposure consistent with a small projectile glancing off the wall. The next building over, a storage building known as B2 Exposure, also had similar markings at approximately the same height and velocity.
I entered the burned home and discovered two lever action rifles underneath the burned mattress in the master bedroom. Both rifles were 30-30 caliber, one Marlin model 336 and one Winchester model 94. The Marlin was not loaded and did not contain any spent shell casings. The Winchester was loaded and there was a spent shell casing in the chamber. After careful reconstruction, I was able to determine the bullet fired from the Winchester rifle traveled through the exterior wall, traveled 14’-18’ and struck the firefighter in the left upper thigh, then traveled to and ricocheted off of the adjacent mobile home and storage building, coming to rest in the ground North of the scene.
There was no one near the rifle when the bullet was discharged. The damage to the room was consistent with full room involvement. The mattress above the rifles was completely consumed. Based upon the evidence available to me, witness statements from on scene personnel, statements from EMS and Emergency Room personnel, I have determined the following: The fire in the room reached temperatures high enough to cause the round to discharge in the weapon. The round then proceeded to the path of least resistance, which so happened to be the rifle barrel. The round then struck the firefighter. There were no signs visible for on scene personnel to determine this was going to happen.
This incident, however tragic, was not avoidable or preventable. The firefighter escaped with injuries that required stitches and loss of work projected to be at least one month. This was a definite close call. Had the bullet traveled another two to three inches deeper, it could have struck the femoral artery causing significant blood loss and maybe even death. A full investigation report will follow, with videos, pictures, diagrams and statements.”
The occupant was discovered deceased in the home during overhaul operations. An investigator from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety was called to the scene to investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The name of the deceased is being withheld until his identity is confirmed. The cause of the fire has not been released
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/169264
Early this morning at approximately 0053 hours, fire companies were dispatched to a possible fire in an occupied mobile home near the intersection of Nelson Mill Rd and Valley View, near Nixa, MO. Units from Nixa Fire District were dispatched, along with auto-aid from Ozark, Clever, Highlandville and Battlefield Fire Districts. Companies from Nixa arrived on scene to find a well involved 14’x 66’ mobile home extending to mobile homes on the B & D Sides. Crews immediately assumed a defensive position and began extinguishing the fire encroaching on surrounding exposures.
Battlefield Engine-1 arrived and was assigned to perform a primary search on the B1 exposure. While crews were extending lines and preparing to enter the home, a loud “pop” was heard. One firefighter from Engine-1 went down and a “MAYDAY” was called. ALS Personnel from Nixa Fire District immediately began to assess the firefighter and found a large laceration to the upper left thigh, consistent with an avulsion. The firefighter was stabilized and once the ambulance arrived, he was subsequently transported to Cox South Hospital were he was treated and later released.
One of the Chief Officers, who is also a certified Crime Scene Investigator, provided us the following information.
“Upon hearing of the injury, I responded to the hospital to check the well being of our firefighter. I discovered his injury, even severe, was survivable with limited long term effects. Once relieved of my duties at the hospital by the on-duty shift commander, I responded to the scene where I began my injury/accident investigation to discover what had happened.
The response videos taken by vehicle mounted cameras and helmet cameras were reviewed. The “pop” described by witnesses was consistent with a large caliber weapon or rifle.
I was shown by on scene personnel to the location where the firefighter was standing when the incident occurred. I could see damage to the rear wall of the B1 Exposure consistent with a small projectile glancing off the wall. The next building over, a storage building known as B2 Exposure, also had similar markings at approximately the same height and velocity.
I entered the burned home and discovered two lever action rifles underneath the burned mattress in the master bedroom. Both rifles were 30-30 caliber, one Marlin model 336 and one Winchester model 94. The Marlin was not loaded and did not contain any spent shell casings. The Winchester was loaded and there was a spent shell casing in the chamber. After careful reconstruction, I was able to determine the bullet fired from the Winchester rifle traveled through the exterior wall, traveled 14’-18’ and struck the firefighter in the left upper thigh, then traveled to and ricocheted off of the adjacent mobile home and storage building, coming to rest in the ground North of the scene.
There was no one near the rifle when the bullet was discharged. The damage to the room was consistent with full room involvement. The mattress above the rifles was completely consumed. Based upon the evidence available to me, witness statements from on scene personnel, statements from EMS and Emergency Room personnel, I have determined the following: The fire in the room reached temperatures high enough to cause the round to discharge in the weapon. The round then proceeded to the path of least resistance, which so happened to be the rifle barrel. The round then struck the firefighter. There were no signs visible for on scene personnel to determine this was going to happen.
This incident, however tragic, was not avoidable or preventable. The firefighter escaped with injuries that required stitches and loss of work projected to be at least one month. This was a definite close call. Had the bullet traveled another two to three inches deeper, it could have struck the femoral artery causing significant blood loss and maybe even death. A full investigation report will follow, with videos, pictures, diagrams and statements.”
The occupant was discovered deceased in the home during overhaul operations. An investigator from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety was called to the scene to investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The name of the deceased is being withheld until his identity is confirmed. The cause of the fire has not been released
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/169264
