Firefighter injured; four dogs rescued, in house fire
A Cape Coral firefighter suffered minor injuries when a ceiling collapsed while he was fighting a house fire in northwest Cape Coral Tuesday.
He was transported to the hospital for examination and was released.
Meanwhile, firefighters contained the blaze using truck-provided water and water from a nearby canal and rescued four dogs from the home in the 1400 block of Northwest 10th Terrace.
The Cape Coral Fire Department received the house fire call at 11:34 a.m. The caller could see smoke coming from the soffits and could hear dogs barking inside.
There were cars in the driveway so it was unknown if anyone was home.
Under the command of Battalion 2, Engine 8 began fire attack in the garage where flames could be seen.
“One of the biggest concerns with fighting the fire in this area of the City was water supply due to lack of hydrants,” Battalion 2, Battalion Chief Brian Lauer said in a prepared statement.
The fire had originated in and around the area of the garage and spread into the attic. Within 20 minutes of arriving on scene, firefighters had the fire under control.
Lauer credited the quick actions of the neighbors who placed the call about the fire.
“Early notification greatly aids in firefighter response,” he said. “The sooner we know about the fire, the sooner we can arrive on scene and get the fire under control to protect life and property. This fire was quickly controlled so there was no threat to surrounding structures, and we were able to rescue the dogs from the home before they were affected by the smoke.”
Lauer also commended the mutual aid assistance provided by the Matlacha Pine Island Fire Control District, which brought their tender to assist CCFD’s Tender 5 with water supply, and also credited the Engine 2 crew, which provided water through quick and effective “turbo drafting” from a nearby canal. Simultaneously, Engine 5 searched the residence and found the home to be unoccupied with the exception of four dogs which they were able to safely rescue.
Also on scene was Truck 4, which performed the secondary search; Engine 10, which stood by for rapid intervention; Battalions 1 and 11, which acted as safety officers; Battalion 20, which acted as accountability officer, and Battalion 21, which operated Tender 5.
LCEC shut off power to the home, the building inspector and State Fire Marshal’s office responded, and the Red Cross will provide the family with assistance and temporary housing, officials said.
Source: Cape Coral Fire Department