By Paula Horton
The Tri-City Herald
PASCO, Wash. — A Pasco firefighter was hurt Tuesday when he fell off a ladder while crews were mopping up an apartment fire, officials said.
The firefighter, whose name was not released, was seriously injured when he fell about 10 feet, Chief Bob Gear said.
His injuries were not life-threatening, but he did break three ribs and possibly had a punctured lung, Gear said.
Crews responded at 7:30 a.m. to a fire at an apartment at 1704 W. Court St. The fire, which appears to have started at an electrical outlet, heavily damaged a first-floor unit and some flames spread to the unit on the second floor, Gear said.
Residents were home at the time and were able to safely evacuate.
Firefighters stayed busy a few hours later when two fire calls came in about 15 minutes apart.
The first one was reported around 1:10 p.m. when a wall in a home in the Road 84 area caught fire. The fire was sparked by a meat smoker but caused only minor damage, Gear said.
Crews then fought a garage fire at a home at 5112 Polo Lane that started in the dryer in the garage. The fire caused minor damage to the garage and a vehicle he said. The residents were home at the time.
“This is a very good example of why you should not run your dryer when you’re not home,” Gear said.
Copyright 2009 Tri-City Herald