A firefighter sustained injuries after being trapped during a blaze in a south Charlotte home earlier today, as crews responded to the second fire of the day in the area, officials reported. The firefighter, part of Engine 24, experienced a ceiling collapse while combatting the fire, which broke out around 1:45 a.m. at a residence on Ledger Court in the Landen Meadows neighborhood, WBTV reported.
The Charlotte Fire Department was first called to the scene along Ledger Court, close to Community House Road and Ardrey Kell Road, to tackle the large fire that originated in the home’s garage just before 2 a.m. today. With smoke showing near 5800 Pineville-Matthews Road not long after that; crews witnessed a midday scene which resulted in one patient being rushed to a medical center with serious injuries, as reported by QC News.
Following a "catastrophic collapse" of the garage ceiling 30 minutes into the firefighting effort, the firefighter was briefly trapped and issued a mayday call, a standard protocol in rescue situations. The Charlotte Fire Battalion Chief John Lipcsak said, "Firefighting is dangerous, and it can happen at a moment’s notice. That’s why we train on it nonstop," the injuries, initially thought to be severe, were later deemed minor and the firefighter has since been released from the hospital, expected to fully recover, according to WBTV.
The incident included a rapid rescue effort that lasted approximately 20 minutes, with no civilians injured. The house, which housed around 10 individuals—including grandparents, two adults, and six children aged nine to 16—was evacuated swiftly. "I’m just happy everyone got out OK and safe," one of the adult residents told WCNC Charlotte. The fire was brought under control after roughly 80 minutes; a third alarm had been triggered to signify the escalated risk following the collapse, Charlotte Fire’s investigation task force is currently determining the cause of the fire, which has yet to be released.
