Cause of Houston Firefighter’s Death Announced

HOUSTON (Houston Chronicle) – Houston firefighter Daniel Groover collapsed and died of smoke inhalation in July while battling a blaze inside a vacant home in Kingwood, the Houston Fire Department announced Friday.

Groover, 46, and other firefighters went into a burning two-story home because they thought there might be people trapped inside, HFD officials said after the July 9 two-alarm fire in the 1400 block of Mistletoe Lane.

FRM/FFN: Houston Firefighter Dies from House Fire Injuries

A mayday alert was sounded about 25 minutes after their arrival. HFD officials said other firefighters got Groover, a 21-year veteran, out of the home and began CPR. The efforts continued on the way to the hospital in Kingwood, where he was pronounced dead.

“As an organization, we will continue to learn from this tragedy and I have established an organizational recovery committee so that we move forward and implement positive changes,” HFD Chief Terry Garrison said in a statement.

There was initial uncertainty about whether Groover had died of natural causes in the house. The Harris County medical examiners report released Friday determined Groover died from smoke inhalation, but both state and federal investigations into the circumstances that led to his death are continuing.

Alvin White, the interim president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, called Friday’s findings “an important first step” into a full understanding of what happened to Groover. Once the remaining investigations are concluded, White said, the union will work with the Houston Fire Department to strengthen safety protocols.

“The hard truth is, firefighting remains an extraordinarily dangerous profession despite recent safety advances,” White said in a statement.