Paramedics Burned in Texas Truck Fire Rescue

April 25--FORT WORTH _ Two paramedics pulled a woman out of a burning truck early Thursday just seconds before it exploded near the West Freeway, officials said.

MedStar paramedics Robert Long and Kayden Bathory suffered flash burns in the rescue near the West Freeway and Chapel Creek Boulevard as they responded to a report of a rollover traffic crash.

The woman who was not identified was taken by air ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in critical condition. The paramedics were treated at the scene.

Bathory and Long were responding to the accident shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday just off the freeway.

The paramedics who were the first on the scene found the woman inside the burning truck, unconscious and breathing. Long and Bathory used a fire extinguisher to temporarily knock down the flames to give them a chance to pull the woman out of the vehicle, said Matt Zavadsky, a MedStar spokesman in a news release.

As the paramedics dragged the woman out, the vehicle exploded, Zavadsky said.

Firefighters arrived a few minutes later and extinguished the flames.

Despite being burned, Bathory and Long stabilized the victim until the air ambulance arrived, Zavadsky said.

Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-390-7763

Twitter: @mingoramirezjr

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