By FireRescue1 Staff
SEDONA, Ariz. — A fire captain is recovering after sustaining burns while using a fire station barbeque grill Oct. 27.
Sedona Capt. Matt Fleece suffered burns after a fire broke out at the station. Fire engineer Mike Pace was at the station when the incident occurred, and quickly extinguished the fire before treating Fleece’s injuries.
Pace treated Fleece before he was airlifted to a burn center for treatment. Since then, the Sedona Fire Department stated Fleece’s condition has improved.
“Matt is a strong person -- of family and faith,” Sedona Fire Chief Kris Kazian said. “He has a positive attitude and is determined. I have no doubt we will be seeing Matt back at [the department] and we are doing everything we can at SFD to help him and his family.”
An initial investigation determined the cause of the fire was the propane gas of the grill Fleece was using.
The department has initiated an injury review to document the incident and to offer insights on preventative measures.