By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
SALISBURY, N.C. — Eleven firefighters were hurt when the roof of a burning home collapsed on them in Salisbury, according to the North Carolina town’s fire department.
The fire call came just before 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at 1143 Lauren Street, the Salisbury Fire Department reported in a news release.
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“Fire personnel arrived in four minutes and found heavy fire conditions throughout the rear of the single-family house,” fire officials wrote in a Facebook post.
“Fire personnel immediately launched an offensive attack to extinguish the fire. It appears that during the offensive attack, a gas line exploded inside the residence. The explosion compromised the structure’s integrity, causing the roof to collapse. As a result of the explosion, 11 firefighters were injured.”
Two civilians were also taken to hospitals, and details of their injuries have not been released.
Salisbury Fire Chief Robert Parnell says the force of the explosion was such that “the outside walls blew out (and) the roof came up and went back down.” The resulting debris fell on firefighters and, in same cases, was projected at them, including bricks, he said.
The 11 firefighters were taken to hospitals in Rowan and Cabarrus counties for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, he said. One of the 11 was a member of the Spencer Fire Department, officials said.
Some of the injured have already been released by hospitals.
“Firefighters are being treated for contusions, concussions and smoke inhalation, because while they were wearing their mask, the explosion blew the mask off their face,” Parnell said.
Investigators have not confirmed the explosion was caused by gas, and a multi-department investigation is underway, he said.
Eight people live in the home, and they are being assisted by the Red Cross, officials said.
Salisbury is about a 45-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.
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