Houston accident attorneys remark that khou.com on 9/17/2012 reported on a tragic training accident that cost a dedicated volunteer Atascocita firefighter his life. The 46-year-old firefighter, Cpt. Neal Smith, was taking part in a training exercise when he collapsed into unconsciousness inside the smoke house at the training facility in Beaumont.
Captain Neal Smith was taking part in the final part of a smoke diving drill when he lost consciousness from the extreme heat. An instructor at the firefighter training school commented that Cpt. Smith’s body temperature became so high that it caused internal organ damage.
Following the tragic training accident, which also injured an out-of-state firefighter, Cpt. Neal Smith was listed in critical condition. The volunteer Atascocita firefighter was removed from life support on Monday evening and passed away surrounded by his family. Capt. Smith had received a Firefighter of the Month Award as well as a Certificate of Appreciation for his service during the devastating Hurricane Ike event.
Our Houston accident attorneys note that extreme heat is very threatening to the body and its well-being. Conventional wisdom holds that the brain begins to bake at 105 degrees, a temperature often reached by victims of summer heat stroke. People exposed repeatedly to high internal temperatures can sometimes become tempered over time to withstand slightly higher temperatures than the average person. But the extreme heat of work accidents like arc flash fires and firefighter training exercises can quickly cook internal tissues like muscle, organs, and nerves.
Learn more about the dangerous effects of accidents involving extreme heat by clicking on this article.