Long recovery ahead for firefighter injured while battling Amwell brush fire

A local firefighter was seriously injured while on scene of a large brush fire in Amwell Township on Oct. 8. Many fire departments, including South Strabane, responded and did everything to stop the fire from spreading.

However, while getting out hot spots, South Strabane Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Paul Witner said he heard a mayday call for one of his own. He said a tree fell on a firefighter’s head.

“Hearing one of your own go down is really hard to handle and assess the situation and keep your emotions calm. We always want to do everything we can to assist them making sure they get the aid they need,” Winter said.

Winter said firefighters immediately started to render aid and the injured firefighter was flown to the trauma center at UPMC Presby to be treated right away.

“He did sustain a concussion as well as a laceration to his head. At UPMC Presby, they determined he has a spinal fracture in his neck,” Winter said.

Winter said the firefighter is very lucky because this could have been catastrophic. The firefighter is home and is expected to fully recover. Right now, we are working to find out what caused the brush fire. Winter advises people not to burn right now during an ongoing drought watch.

“The way brush fires typically start is, generally, a control burn that gets out of control, cigarettes that get flicked out the window. Even with the rain we got yesterday, the ground conditions are still very dry,” Winter said.

Winter said they appreciate all the support they’ve been receiving from surrounding departments. Currently, there is no timeline for when the injured firefighter will return to duty.

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