Missouri firefighter killed in floor collapse
FirefighterNation Staff
PECULIAR, Missouri — The Missouri state fire marshal’s report on the death of a West Peculiar firefighter in January lists the probable cause of the fire as well as details of renovations to the structure.
West Peculiar firefighter Chuck McCormick died while fighting the January 4 house fire on Deer Run Road.
FirefighterNation:
Missouri Firefighter Killed in House Fire
‘The Most Horrific Thing’
According to FOX4KC that report stated that the house had recent renovations and that fire investigators found evidence of damaged wiring in the basement.
Firefighter McCormick and a captain entered the burning house and turned around to leave due to falling debris and deteriorating conditions.
Documents state that McCormick was in the dining room when the floor gave way and he fell into the basement. The fire caused damage to steel beams in the floor which caused much of the collapse.
Firefighters could see the hoseline McCormick had leading into a hole in the floor and they could hear his personal safety device going off.
At least one person said he heard a man yelling for help, according to the report.
20 minutes after firefighters from the Kansas City Fire Department arrived, they entered the basement and found McCormick underneath debris too heavy to remove by one person.
When he was finally freed McCormick was found without his
helmet and facepiece. It is unknown when these came off.
McCormick’s SCBA was also out of air.
The autopsy revealed second-degree burns to his entire body.
FOX4Kc continues to report that details of what went wrong were also learned including a captain’s non-working radio which could have let the chief know faster that McCormick was trapped.
Members of the West Peculiar Fire Department declined to comment about the report and declined an interview request.
