DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Firefighters battled a blaze at a home where they initially couldn’t send crews in because it was so dangerous.
The family of a firefighter trapped when a wall fell on him in a separate fire say they know the dangers all too well.
Their loved one Frederick Goins was trapped when a wall fell on him at a home that was on fire.
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“He was under the fire for at least seven minutes, Crane Hanna said about his son in law, Goins.
In those seven minutes, the DeKalb County firefighter wasn’t sure if he was going to make out of this house fire alive.
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“After three or four minutes, he started wondering. He just wanted to make sure he could see his family,” Hanna said to Channel 2’s Tom Jones.
He did make it out, thanks to some brave firefighters who didn’t want to lose a comrade in the line of duty.
“The brick wall fell on him and it took 25 firefighters to get him out from under,” Hanna said.
It was back on June 26 when firefighters, including Goins, were called to an abandoned home at Briarcliff Road and Briar Vista Road.
Crews began to fight the fire defensively from the outside, and that’s when that wall came down on Goins, critically injuring him.
His father-in-law says the fire tore at his body.
“More than 50% of his body was burned, third degree,” Hanna said.
Goins has been in Grady Hospital since then. He’s had two surgeries and may need another one.
Hanna says it’s taken a heavy toll on Goins’ wife and four children.
“I think he’s going to be out of work for 6 months or longer,” he says.
And he says Goins’ wife stays home to care for their children, all younger than 7.
Goins is learning to walk again. And, although he has a long road to recovery, he wants to go back to fighting fires.
“Immediately, from the first day he wants to go back,” Hanna said.
Goins hopes to get out of the hospital Tuesday night after a long stay.
GoFundMes are available if you’d like to help his family. Click here or here.
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