Gainesville Fire-Rescue Rescues Two in Fourth-Alarm Fire

GAINESVILLE, Texas — Gainesville Fire-Rescue rescued two adults from a fourth-alarm structure fire August 6 at approximately 4:45 a.m. in the 400 block of Hillside Drive. Firefighters arrived to find a fully involved structure fire with occupants trapped. Crews rescued one adult male and one adult female from the single-story residence. The male was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The female was transported to a local hospital and subsequently transferred by CareFlite to a regional hospital for further treatment. The residence was a complete loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Smoke alarms were present and operated but failed to alert the occupants. During rescue operations, firefighters encountered an additional challenge when attempting to reach occupants through a bedroom window. The existing window opening was not large enough to allow firefighters to safely remove the occupants, requiring crews to remove the window frame to create a sufficient opening. The department used the incident to remind residents that every bedroom needs a secondary way out. Bedroom escape openings should provide a minimum of 5.0 square feet of clear opening and must be fully operational from inside without special tools or keys. Gainesville Fire-Rescue encourages residents to ensure every sleeping room has an appropriate secondary escape route, check that bedroom windows open easily, keep escape windows clear of obstructions, maintain working smoke alarms inside and outside sleeping areas, and practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in the household.