A Marion County firefighter suffered serious burns on Wednesday afternoon while battling a house fire in Silver Springs.
According to Marion County Fire Rescue, several units were dispatched to the 18000 block of SE 20th Place in Silver Springs after receiving reports that a home was on fire.
Fire crews, including Captain Chris Trubelhorn, arrived on scene within five minutes and observed heavy smoke rising from the home.
As firefighters battled the blaze, Trubelhorn sustained serious burn injuries. He was rushed to Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville where he is currently being treated for his injuries.
The residential structure fire was eventually extinguished by MCFR crews.
Officials stated that the Professional Firefighters of Marion County Local 3169 and MCFR Chaplains are at the hospital in Gainesville to help care for Trubelhorn and his family.
Trubelhorn, an 18-year veteran with Marion County Fire Rescue, is facing a long road to recovery. In a social media post on Wednesday, MCFR stated, “Our department, our union and our community will support him through each and every day.”