If you work a job that puts you in harm's way often, then you know that injury is a risk you face every day on the job. In an industrial field, you could face lacerations; in the police force, you could risk being shot. Firefighters and others understand that their jobs are potentially hazardous, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve the same kinds of workers' compensation or other compensation when they are injured on the job.
In Maryland, a firefighter suffered injuries when he was on duty fighting to save the home of an elderly couple. The Howard County Fire Department had been called to the scene of a fire at the Elliot Meadows Retirement Community at around 5:20 a.m. due to a lightning strike that resulted in a blaze on the home's roof.
When the firefighters arrived at the scene, they discovered flames shooting into the air, smoke in the attic, and fire radiating off the rooftop. A neighbor and witness reported hearing a boom, which may have been the moment the lightning struck the home.
During the time when firefighters were inside fighting the blaze, one suffered minor injuries when the roof partially collapsed. Crews were evacuated following the collapse and until after the fire was put out at around 7:40 in the morning. The firefighter who suffered injuries was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but it was reported to be a precaution. The news report didn't indicate what happened to him, but it did say that the elderly couple made it out of the home unharmed.