WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – One day after an explosion at a near-complete vet clinic on New Centre Dr. in Wilmington, the Wilmington Fire Department has released new details.
According to WFD Fire Chief Steve Mason, a fifth firefighter is recovering from injuries. WFD had previously reported that only four firefighters were injured.
Of the five people injured, four are out of the hospital; however, one firefighter is recovering from surgery after he was transferred to UNC Chapel Hill for second and third-degree burns to his hands and arms. Fire officials said he is in good spirits and with family.
“We could’ve lost some members yesterday,” Chief Mason said. “The fact that we only had four or five people injured yesterday, somebody was looking out for us.”
Fire officials confirmed Wednesday that their crew was on the second floor of the vet clinic at the time of the explosion.
“With them all being on the second floor, they had to get out of the second-floor windows. If you’ve had a chance to show the actual pictures themselves, the entire thing exploded, and so when they came out of that second floor, that’s when some of the shoulder injuries and the knee injuries and sprains that took place,” D.C. Mickler, chief of operations for WFD, said.
Authorities say that a car hit the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Referral building at 5051 New Centre Drive and ruptured a gas line at around 11:30 a.m.
The Wilmington Police Department arrested 46-year-old Jason Lee Beach on Aug. 19 in connection with the gas explosion.
