麻豆精选 firefighter Chris Zimmerman, badly burned in a huge fire last weekend that destroyed an unfinished six-storey condominium building and a nearby residential motel, is recovering in hospital and doing better each day, says his father.
Gerry Zimmermann, the city鈥檚 well-known former fire chief and a former city councillor, told the 麻豆精选 on Thursday his son has regained feeling in his burned hands and can move them, both encouraging signs.
鈥淗e鈥檚 doing better and better each day,鈥� said Gerry.
鈥淲e were worried he could lose the use of his hands.鈥�
Chris Zimmermann suffered burns to his hands, as well as to his back and his calves, while on the second floor of the under-construction second building at the Water鈥檚 Edge development in the Mission area of the city Saturday.
He was trying to find a way to safety out of the burning building for himself and three of his firefighter colleagues who were trapped on a third-storey balcony.
His father said the four had to descend by ladder through heavy black smoke to escape flames just before the building collapsed.
鈥淕iven the state of his hands, I have no idea how he did that,鈥� said Gerry, adding when the ladder was placed against the building wall the smoke was so heavy, firefighters on the ground could not see it reached the third storey or not.
While in the building, the flames were pushed with such force that they burned between Chris鈥檚 protective fire coat and his back and down the back of his boots, burning him badly in both areas as well.
Gerry said in his long career as with the 麻豆精选 Fire Department, he had not seen a firefighter as badly burned here as his son.
鈥淚鈥檓 just so thankful he is doing better,鈥� said Gerry.
