A Memphis firefighter was burned early Thursday morning while battling flames at a house in the 3800 block of Camelia Cove, near Flowering Peach Drive and South Mendenhall Road. The firefighter was taken to a hospital in noncritical condition and has since been released. Investigators say the fire was accidental, sparked by an electrical malfunction, and caused an estimated $70,000 in damage.
Flames Broke Out Before Dawn
According to Action News 5, the fire ignited around 4:30 a.m., sending crews to the residential stretch of Camelia Cove in Memphis. Fire officials said the blaze had taken hold by the time firefighters arrived at the scene. It was during that response that one firefighter sustained the burns that sent them to the hospital.
The outlet reported that the injured firefighter's condition was listed as noncritical, and that they were later released from the hospital. No other injuries were detailed in the reporting on the incident.
Cause Ruled Accidental, Damage Tops $70,000
Investigators determined the fire was accidental, tracing the cause to an electrical malfunction inside the home. The same report put the total damage at about $70,000, though it did not specify the extent of the structure's loss or whether anyone besides the firefighter was affected.
Structure fires carry disproportionate risk for the firefighters who respond to them. Federal data compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration shows that, on average, firefighters are ten times more likely to be hurt in structure fires than in fires outside buildings, and that such injuries have kept 43% of injured firefighters off the job for at least some time. Separate historical USFA figures on fire-related firefighter injuries found that the majority of these injuries happen at residential properties, underscoring how routine calls like the one on Camelia Cove can turn dangerous in an instant.
