KINGWOOD, Texas A Houston firefighter collapsed and died Wednesday afternoon while battling a 2-alarm house fire in Kingwood.
Daniel Groover, 47, was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in the backyard of the burning home. Emergency crews performed CPR at the scene, but he later died at KingwoodMedical Center.
Fellow firefighters were right there with him, said HFD Chief Terry Garrison. They had him out of the structure right away.
The fire broke out around 4 p.m. in the 1400 block of Mistletoe near Redbud.
Neighbors reported hearing several small explosions that sounded like fireworks.
It sounded like multiple explosions, said witness Annett Doggett.
Fireighters from Station 104 were first on the scene. The blaze quickly went to two alarms and firefighters cleared out of the burning home and went into defensive mode.
Chief Garrison and Mayor Annise Parker rushed to Kingwood Medical Center when they learned about Groover.
Several firefighters were also seen at the hospital Wednesday evening. They formed an honorary procession when Groover's body was taken away.
The homeowner wasn't home at time, but neighbors called to tell her about the fire. Three dogs were inside the home. At last check, two of them had been accounted for.
No one else was injured.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
