Last Friday was like any other day on the job for Capt. James Kehrli, until he found himself pinned under debris in a burning warehouse in Springdale. “Never once do you think that it’s going to be you,” Kehrli said. As the fire engulfed the warehouse, Kehrli and rookie firefighter Vincent Humphrey were inside. Smoke filled the entire building and they couldn’t even see their hands in front of their faces. “From the start, the sprinklers were going. There was water coming down, and there was zero visibility,” Kehrli said. In a split second, Humphrey heard a loud crash, and then Kehrli disappeared under a pile of debris. “When the pallets came down, I really did not know what had hit me. My helmet was cracked, my face mask came off. It was a feeling of helplessness. I just cried out for help,” Kehrli. After what felt like an eternity, Kehrli saw Humphrey’s boot and reached out for it. “I saw it come right down in front of me. I grabbed it, and I didn’t let go until I felt his hand,” Kehrli said. “I went straight to the ground and found a gloved hand. I knew it was him,” Humphrey said. Humphrey, along with a few other firefighters brought Kehrli to safety. His ankle was broken in three places. “Once we got Kehrli to the loading dock I remember looking at the sky and looking at Kehrli and grabbing his and and thinking that we were safe and we were okay,” Humphrey said. Kehrli said he is thankful for the brotherhood in the Springdale Fire Department. “Springdale gave me my first shot at being a firefighter and it’s been a brotherhood ever since,” he said. Being a rookie, Humphrey didn’t know all of his fellow firefighters very well. He and Kehrli walked into the burning warehouse as strangers, and walked out as family. “I wasn’t going to leave without my new family, my new brothers. I wasn’t going to leave them,” Humphrey said. Kehrli will have surgery on his ankle on Thursday. He hopes to be back fighting fires within the next three to four months.
Last Friday was like any other day on the job for Capt. James Kehrli, until he found himself pinned under debris in a burning warehouse in Springdale.
“Never once do you think that it’s going to be you,” Kehrli said.
As the fire engulfed the warehouse, Kehrli and rookie firefighter Vincent Humphrey were inside. Smoke filled the entire building and they couldn’t even see their hands in front of their faces.
“From the start, the sprinklers were going. There was water coming down, and there was zero visibility,” Kehrli said.
In a split second, Humphrey heard a loud crash, and then Kehrli disappeared under a pile of debris.
“When the pallets came down, I really did not know what had hit me. My helmet was cracked, my face mask came off. It was a feeling of helplessness. I just cried out for help,” Kehrli.
After what felt like an eternity, Kehrli saw Humphrey’s boot and reached out for it.
“I saw it come right down in front of me. I grabbed it, and I didn’t let go until I felt his hand,” Kehrli said.
“I went straight to the ground and found a gloved hand. I knew it was him,” Humphrey said.
Humphrey, along with a few other firefighters brought Kehrli to safety. His ankle was broken in three places.
“Once we got Kehrli to the loading dock I remember looking at the sky and looking at Kehrli and grabbing his and and thinking that we were safe and we were okay,” Humphrey said.
Kehrli said he is thankful for the brotherhood in the Springdale Fire Department.
“Springdale gave me my first shot at being a firefighter and it’s been a brotherhood ever since,” he said.
Being a rookie, Humphrey didn’t know all of his fellow firefighters very well. He and Kehrli walked into the burning warehouse as strangers, and walked out as family.
“I wasn’t going to leave without my new family, my new brothers. I wasn’t going to leave them,” Humphrey said.
Kehrli will have surgery on his ankle on Thursday. He hopes to be back fighting fires within the next three to four months.
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