Elderly man seriously injured fighting brush fire
Elderly man seriously injured fighting brush fire
25 February 2009
published by www.thetimesnews.com
USA — A man was severely burned as he attempted to put out a brush fire Wednesday afternoon at a mobile home park near Mebane.
Firefighters with the Efland Volunteer Fire Department and the Mebane Fire Department responded to a call at 5323 U.S. 70, Lot 27, at around 4:45 p.m.
When they arrived, they found a small section of nearby woods on fire and a man with burns over about 30 percent of his body, Mebane Fire Chief Bob Louis said.
“The subject was trying to put it out… and he fell on the fire,” Louis said. “It’s an elderly person.”
He added that some of the burns the man suffered were third-degree burns.
A helicopter was called to transport the man to the hospital but was later canceled. Louis said Alamance County emergency personnel took him by ambulance to the burn center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. His identity was not available by press time.
It took firefighters about five minutes to put out the fire, which was threatening a mobile home and a house, Louis said.
