ST MARIES, Idaho — A firefighter suffered cardiac arrest on Monday while fighting a house fire in St. Maries, Idaho.
The St. Maries Fire Protection District was called to the area of 1st Street and Todd Avenue for a structure fire at about 11:19 a.m. on Monday. When crews arrived minutes later, they saw heavy smoke coming from a building.
As firefighters worked to suppress and extinguish the fire, Lt. Phil Diffenbaugh, an eight-year veteran of the district, suffered a cardiac event that immediately put him into cardiac arrest. District Fire Chief Larry Nacarato said Diffenbaugh’s partner began life-saving measures as an ambulance was dispatched to the scene.
Crews helped to return circulation before the ambulance arrived, but Diffenbaugh went into cardiac arrest again while on the way to Benewah Community Hospital, Nacarato said. Emergency room staff were able to regain a pulse before Diffenbaugh was flown to Kootenai Medical Center, where he received additional medical treatment.
“I would like to thank everyone for your support of Lt. Diffenbaugh and his family as well as our firefighters,” Nacarato wrote in a press release. “A special thank you to all those involved with the incident and the care of our firefighter.
More information on Diffenbaugh’s condition will be released as updates are received, Nacarato said.
Nacarato said the fire was contained to an attached garage, with the rest of the home sustaining some smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office.
