The injured firefighters were taken to SageWest Riverton's Emergency Room where the most seriously injured firefighter was stabilized and then flown by air ambulance to Denver.
Firefighter life-flighted to Denver with burns; Update expected later today
(Riverton, Wyo.) – A Fremont County Fire Protection District firefighter, whose identity has not yet been released, is at a Denver burn center today after being injured in a grass/structure fire Thursday afternoon.
District Chief Craig Haslam said this morning from the road that he is en route to Denver and would have additional information at some point later today.
Haslam said the Wyoming State Fire Marshal’s Office is on the scene of the fire this morning, just off the Eight Mile Road northwest of Riverton, along with local fire investigators, to determine what happened that caused the serious injury. One other firefighter was treated and released for burns on his hands suffered while rescuing his fellow firefighter.
The alarm was called in as a grass fire threatening structures on the 88 Triangle Ranch Road, off of Eight Mile.
According to initial reports from the scene, that have not yet been confirmed by officials, the most seriously injured firefighter broke through an area apparently thought to be solid and was injured by flaming debris that fell on him.
A high-speed escort of sheriff’s deputies rushed an ambulance containing the two injured firefighters to SageWest-Riverton’s Emergency Room, with assistance from the Riverton Police Department who cordoned off West Main and all side streets allowing the emergency vehicles to arrive at the hospital as quickly as possible.
After receiving initial treatment in Riverton, the most seriously injured firefighter was flown to a Denver burn center.
A shop and several outbuildings were burned in a grass fire of undetermined origin. The State Fire Marshall’s Office has been called in to identify the cause of the blaze.