Injured Charleston firefighter released from hospital

UPDATE: 3/13/23

CHARLESTON W.Va. (WSAZ) - A firefighter injured while battling a fire over the weekend has been released from the hospital to recover at home, according to the Charleston Fire Department.

Captain John Hastings, a 18-year veteran of the department, was hurt while responding to a fire in the 700 block of Crescent Road Sunday in Charleston.

Officials said a large portion of the second floor of the home collapsed onto Captain Hastings.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the CFD Fire Prevention Bureau.

ORIGINAL STORY: 3/12/23

CHARLESTON W.Va. (WSAZ) - A firefighter is in the hospital after he was injured while battling a structure fire, according to the Charleston Fire Department.

Captain John Hastings suffered non-life-threatening injuries while responding to a structure fire, according to CFD.

Hastings is an 18-year veteran of the Charleston Fire Department

CFD responded to a structure fire in the 700 block of Crescent Road on Sunday around 10:30 a.m.

On arrival, fire crews were met with a large amount of fire from an abandoned residence. While suppression efforts were underway, Capt. Hastings and his crew began to search the structure for any potential victims.

Moments after completing the search of the first floor, a large portion of the second floor collapsed onto Capt. Hastings, according to a news release.

Captain David Hodges said a mayday was immediately called, and firefighters began to dig through the debris and remove the firefighter.

The rescue of Capt. Hastings took approximately 10 minutes. He was transported to a local trauma center, where his condition is stable, and he remains alert.

“We are extremely thankful for the training and skill that crews demonstrated today,” said Fire Chief Craig Matthews. “We will continue to keep Captain Hastings in our thoughts, and wish him a speedy recovery.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the CFD – Fire Prevention Bureau. The incident will be investigated by the State of West Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office in conjunction with the CFD Training Division.

“The men and women of the Charleston Fire Department work hard, every day, to keep our community safe and we were reminded, once again today, of their commitment to service and their bravery in the face of danger,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “Thank you to the CFD companies that responded this morning and those who helped get Captain Hastings to safety.”

There were no other injuries or victims from the fire.

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