By Javon L. Harris
The State
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Columbia firefighter remains hospitalized with severe injuries following a fire over the weekend, according to the Columbia Fire Department.
Mario Trejo was one of two firefighters injured Saturday night while combating a fire near the intersection of West Beltline Boulevard and Brookland Circle. While the second firefighter was released from the hospital over the weekend, Trejo remains hospitalized.
A GoFundMe fundraiser, seeking $25,000, has so far raised over $14,000 toward Trejo’s medical expenses.
“Today Firefighter Mario Trejo is continuing to recover from his injuries at an area hospital,” the Columbia Fire Department posted on X Tuesday. “Our department continues to be touched and grateful for the outpouring of love from the community for our two firefighters who were injured in the line of duty last Saturday night.”
The fire started late Saturday night in a commercial property on West Beltline Boulevard and spread to a neighboring home, officials said in a news release.
Firefighters found heavy fire spreading through the interior and roof of the commercial building and called for more units to help, making it a two-alarm fire, officials said.
Minutes after the second alarm was called, one side of the building collapsed, causing injuries to the two firefighters, according to the release. Both firefighters were quickly rescued and taken from the scene by Richland County EMS.
The Columbia Firefighters Association began the GoFundMe fundraiser, which raised more than $10,000 in less than 24 hours, according to a GoFundMe spokesperson.
“Mario is a phenomenal human being and an outstanding firefighter,” organizers said on the GoFundMe page.
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