Two firefighters recovering after being seriously burned in fire

DOWNEY – Two firefighters are recovering after being severely burned when the fire engine they were working on burst into flames.

Matthew Henderson and Kent Winward of the Downey Volunteer Fire Department were responding to a wildfire Monday when the fire engine they were working on stalled on a hill. According to Henderson’s brother-in-law, Jeffrey Gosar, a fuel tank fell from the engine and caught fire when the engine rolled backward, crushing the tank.

The firefighters received burns on 30 to 40 percent of their bodies. They were both being treated at the University of Utah Burn Center.

As of Wednesday, Henderson was in critical condition and Winward was in fair condition, according to the Idaho State Journal.

A third firefighter — whose name has not been released — broke his foot in the incident.

Gosar has created a GoFundMe campaign for his brother-in-law. To donate, click here.

The following was written by Jeffrey Gosar.

On Monday, Aug. 21, My brother-in-law Matthew J Henderson was severely burned on a wildfire incident near Arimo, Idaho. Matt is a volunteer firefighter for Bannock County, Idaho, and has responded to many structure and wildfires over the years. On Monday morning, Matthew responded to a wildfire that was threatening multiple households with his crew on a heavy tanker engine.

Something went terribly wrong when their 5-ton fire engine stalled on a hill in the middle of an active fire. A fuel tank fell off of the engine and was ran over as the rig rolled back. The county engine was immediately engulfed in flames. Matt was on the back of the engine operating hoses with another crew member when it happened. Matt was able to jump and help his crewmate get off of the burning rig and get them to safety. Both were badly burned in the process. The driver was able to jump free of the cab, but broke his foot from the fall.

Matt and his crewmate Kent were sent to Pocatello and then immediately transported to the University of Utah Burn Center for treatment and long-term recovery. About 1/3 of Matt’s body are covered in burns, second and third degree. He is expected to be in surgery and medical care for the next four to six weeks and possibly double that time in therapy and recovery. They will perform extensive skin graft surgeries on his arms as soon as his second-degree burns stabilize. They have also found a fracture in his back and neck of which we do not know how serious there are until further scans.

We prayerfully hope that it is only the burns that he will have to battle and not spinal damage. He is mostly unconscious at this point and in a lot of pain. They have him hooked up to dozens of wires, tubes, IVs and sensors. He will be at a high risk of infection for quite some time.

It will be a long hard road to recovery for him and his wife, Jessica. They do not have kids but they were involved in trying to build a house. They will both be out of work for quite some time and hopefully Matt will be able to go back to normal life sooner than expected, but it may be several months, according to the doctor.

We are deeply grateful that he is still alive. He was injured in the line of duty and we pray that if any of you are able, to please help Matt Henderson and his wife Jessica with their long road to recovery. We are very grateful for the love and support of the Wildland Fire community, Family, and Friends. We will also be trying to set up a fund for Matt’s crew.

I will be the point of contact for any questions or comments. I am Matt’s brother in law Jeff Gosar. Thank You and God bless.