FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth firefighter who suffered second and third-degree burns after being trapped during a house fire has a long road to recovery.
His wife is now also dealing with the challenges of having two members of the family in the hospital.
Injured Firefighter’s Recovery
What’s new:
According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, firefighter Caleb Halvorson suffered significant injuries when a garage roof collapsed on him during a fire on Wednesday.
He’s currently in the Parkland Hospital burn unit with second and third-degree burns on his back, legs, hands, and face. Those burns will require skin grafts.
He also has a dislocated knee, a possible shoulder tear, and other musculoskeletal injuries.
While he is now stable, Halvorson will have a long road to recovery both physically and emotionally, the fire department said.
What they’re saying:
Halvorson’s fellow firefighters called his survival “nothing short of a miracle.”
“He attempted to call out while also praying for help, not knowing if anyone could hear him. The weight of the debris required additional manpower and tools before his crew could free him. Once extricated, he was stabilized at the scene and airlifted by CareFlight to the hospital,” the Fort Worth Fire Department said in a post on X.
Dig deeper:
Halvorson has a newborn baby who was born 13 weeks early and has been in the NICU since June.
The fire department said his injuries have created extra challenges for his wife, Haley, who is now caring for both her husband and son in separate hospitals.
“The family is deeply grateful for the support shown by firefighters from both Fort Worth and Dallas, as well as for the continued thoughts and prayers from the community,” the fire department said.
The Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association created an online fundraiser to support the family financially.
The baby is expected to be released from the hospital within the next few weeks.
It’s not yet clear how long Halvorson will be hospitalized.
Fort Worth Firefighters Injured 
The backstory:
Fire officials said the fire started just before 11 a.m. in the 200 block of Williams Street in the Historic Southside of Fort Worth.
The Engine 11 crew was heading back to the station at the time, but they stopped after noticing smoke coming from a home.
The crew began making their way into the house when the garage roof collapsed, trapping Halvorson. Fellow firefighters pulled him from the burning debris.
Halvorson was then rushed to the hospital in an air ambulance.
(Source: Glen E. Ellman, Fort Worth Fire Department)
The firefighter who rescued Halvorson, Lt. Troy Gallager, was also treated at the hospital for minor injuries. He’s since been released.
The people who lived in the burning house were not home at the time and were not injured.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Fort Worth Fire Department and the Fort Worth Firefighters Association.
Fort WorthCrime and Public Safety