Video shows Parker County firefighters battling blaze at mobile home

Video from a firefighter's helmet shows Parker County firefighters battling a blaze at a mobile home on Sunday.

Firefighters pulled a man from the burning structure and performed life-saving measures in the front yard before he was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

CBS News Texas spoke to the man's family before he died, and while they did not want to be interviewed, they said they were thankful for the efforts of the firefighters that day.

Brandon Harer drove Parker County Emergency Services District One's Engine 51 to the fire on Sunday, and Brenden Martin's helmet camera captured the fight against the fire.

Martin said that when the crew - who worked together for the first time on Sunday - arrived at the Parker County home, the porch was on fire. Their main goal, like with any fire, was to put water on the fire as quickly as possible and make the conditions better for any potential victims.

Grant Hall, who managed the fire scene, said the video shows things happening quickly "and almost seamlessly."

"That is a culmination of years of work on the organization's part through training, the guys on the ground that are dedicated to training, and making sure we are ready for any day that we are called upon," he said.

While Martin and Hall put water on the flames inside the home, Harer was outside trying to get smoke off the firefighters inside.
"Upon starting that duty, I heard a neighbor state something to the realm of 'did you guys check the couch,' which immediately alerted me to: there could be someone in that part of the structure," Harer said.

He broke out a nearby window to look, and the helmet video from inside the home captured the next moments.

"I shouted out, 'victim, victim, victim,' which is one of our radio terms that we use when we find a downed person, and jumped in the window and grabbed the victim for removal," Harer said.

The three men worked together to carry the man out of the home, then starting life-saving measures in the front yard. They said their training puts victims first.

"Having a well-trained fire department and really good individuals on a truck make a huge difference in possibly saving lives and giving them the best chance of survival," Martin said.

The victim rescued from the burning home was transported to Parkland Hospital in critical condition. Parker County fire told CBS News Texas on Thursday that the victim died from his injuries.

Multiple departments had responded to the fire.