Press Release from the City of Opelika
OPELIKA, Ala – Yesterday, March 15, the Opelika Fire Department was performing routine fire training exercises on an abandoned house at the 2700 block of Anderson Road. During the final exercise of the day, at approximately 4 p.m., two firefighters were injured. One firefighter was airlifted to UAB hospital with second degrees burns, while the second firefighter was transported by ambulance to Midtown Hospital in Columbus. The firefighter that was airlifted remains at UAB hospital where he is receiving treatment for burns he sustained during the incident; the other firefighter was released from the hospital last night.
At this time, we are withholding the names of the injured firefighters to provide them and their families’ privacy as they recover. As with any incident where a firefighter is injured, the cause of the incident is investigated by the State Fire Marshall’s office. The State Fire Marshall’s office, in conjunction with the Opelika Police Department, will continue to investigate this incident.
We will release more information when it becomes available.