3 Firefighters Hurt After Floor Collapses During Blaze

CARY, IL -- Three firefighters were injured while battling a blaze near Cary Friday night. Firefighters arrived at the scene of the blaze at 206 Hickory Nut Grove at about 8:27 p.m. and found a working fire in the basement of the two-story residence. While firefighters were inside the home, the floor collapsed, causing one firefighter to fall into the basement, according to a news release from the Cary Fire Protection District.

Fire crews initialized a "May Day" firefighter distress call at about 8:50 p.m. and a team of firefighters assigned to respond to such calls was deployed, according to fire officials. The injured firefighter was located and removed from the basement through the hole he fell into.

He was taken to Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington in fair condition.

During the rescue effort, another firefighter was injured after receiving an electrical shock inside the home. A third firefighter sustained a leg injury, according to the news release. Both firefighters were taken to Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington in good condition.

It took 1.5 hours after the injured firefighters were removed from the home and taken to area hospitals for fire crews to fully extinguish the blaze.

The homeowner, John Birt, was not home at the time of the blaze. He returned home while the fire was being extinguished and has set up arrangements for him and his family to stay at a hotel, according to the news release.

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal has been called into investigate the blaze since firefighters were injured but the cause of the fire is not considered suspicious in nature, according to fire officials.

Damage estimates were not immediately available.

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