Electric shock sends firefighter to hospital

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston firefighter is recovering after getting quite a shock while battling a fire in the Heights.

According to fire officials, the firefighter was inside of an apartment at 2121 Tannehill Drive where a heater caught fire. Fire officials say the firefighter was one of the first crew inside the apartment. He began tearing out sheet rock to get to the fire in the wall when he hit a 220 volt electric line. That live wire energized metal framing in the apartment before some of that framing hit the firefighter. He was shocked on the left side of his body and was taken to the hospital.

"It's just an accident. When you stick a pipe pole through a ceiling to look for hidden fire, there's always that chance that pole will grab a wire. And as you pull down, that wire may sever and then you have live wire that goes though the metal of the pipe pole," said Houston Fire District Chief John Waldron.

The injured firefighters name has not been released to the media, but fire officials say he has regained feeling to the left side of his body.