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1 firefighter sent to hospital after 'mayday' call during Cornelius fire

By Stephanie Tinoco
By Stephanie Tinoco

CORNELIUS, N.C. — There were some scary moments for firefighters as heavy fire and smoke poured out of a home in Cornelius.

The Cornelius, Huntersville and Davidson fire departments responded Monday morning to the 21000 block of West Catawba Avenue, where the fire was in the attic and the walls.

Cornelius fire Capt. EJ McCormick said there was zero visibility in the home.

"Think of turning your oven on, opening it up, and just shutting your eyes and you're in a home you've never been before," McCormick said.

[IMAGES: Firefighters battle Cornelius house fire ]

Crews dealt with navigating through the home's old structure, along with near hoarding conditions.

"They encountered all kinds of debris, beds, chairs," McCormick said.

One firefighter issued a "mayday" call because he became disoriented and was running out of air.

"Automatically it makes your heart sink, but you go right into action," McCormick said.

Another firefighter was able to give him air and get him out of the home, according to the Cornelius Fire Department. The firefighter who issued the mayday was taken to the hospital. His condition has not been released.

Two other firefighters suffered minor injuries. It's not clear what kind of injuries, but Cornelius Fire Department officials said the injuries were non-fire-related.

The Huntersville Fire Department also said that all firefighters had to evacuate the home at one point.

"The guys did a terrific job out here. They were faced with multiple, multiple hard conditions and we were able to save a good amount of the house," McCormick said.

Mark Robins, a nearby business owner, helped the people inside escape.

"They were still asleep. We were knocking on the door trying to get in and actually had to knock the door down to get in," Robins said. "They finally woke and had a couple of dogs and a cat and made sure they were out and basically got them out of the front porch and got out."

The homeowners told Channel 9 that while the loss is unfortunate, all of it can be replaced. They said they're just glad everyone is OK.

The fire marshal is still trying to determine what caused the fire.

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