Labor Day house fire injures 6 firefighters

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Six firefighters were hurt battling a house fire in LaGrange Monday morning. 

"This is definitely the worst injuries I’ve seen in my 23-year career to the firefighters here in LaGrange,” LaGrange Deputy Fire Chief John Brant told FOX 5’s Natalie Fultz outside of Grady Memorial Hospital.

The LaGrange Fire Department responded to the call at 2:50 a.m. Monday to the home in the 300 block of Revis Street.

Deputy Fire Chief Brant said the fire flashed on the firefighters, creating a dangerous situation.

"The temperatures reached well above 1200 degrees inside the home," Deputy Chief Brant said. "It got so hot, the fire hose melted in two leaving the crews trapped inside with no water."

Brant said two people were inside the home when the fire started but they were able to get out.

Pictures taken Monday morning of the house show the four exterior walls still standing but the blaze severely damaged the contents of the interior of the house.

"The guys were finding any way to get out of there," Deputy Chief Brant said. "Some came out front, some came out of the side of the home and the last one came out of a small window in the back of the house."

Firefighters Pere Trujillo and Jordan Avera suffered second-degree burns and Jonathan Williamson and Josh Williams sustained third-degree burns. Jim Ormsby and Sean Guerrero suffered minor injuries. 

Medics rushed Williamson, Williams, Trujillo, and Avera to the Burn Unit at Grady’s Burn Unit with nonlife-threatening injuries.

One firefighter has had skin graft surgery on Tuesday. Two others are scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday.

The fourth is still being evaluated.

"It's definitely been a scary situation and has reminded us how dangerous fires are," Deputy Chief Brant said.

Medics took Lt. James Ormsby to WellStar West Georgia Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

Chief Brant credits the firefighters’ training for prevention worse injuries than they suffered.

"There are great guys who train regularly," Deputy Chief Brant said. "It's that training that saved their lives today."

The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation.