Firefighter hurt in Rock Island blaze

By Linda Cook | Sunday, May 11, 2008

A Rock Island firefighter was hospitalized Sunday with burns on his hands after an early-morning house fire.

The fire started about 6:15 a.m. Sunday in a woodframe house at 806 7th Ave., firefighters said. A smoke detector alerted the family of five. They escaped safely.

Flames were shooting from the second floor when firefighters arrived. High winds hampered firefighting efforts. The Rock Island Arsenal Fire Department assisted at the scene.

 Firefighter Andrew West received second-degree burns to both hands, firefighters said. He was in good condition at Trinity Medical Center, Moline, where he was kept as a patient overnight.

The fire resulted in an estimated $31,000 property and $5,000 damage to contents of the home. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The American Red Cross of the Quad-Cities Area assisted the family in finding shelter, firefighters said.