Bullet pierces Westfield fire station ceiling, narrowly missing firefighter

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A firefighter is counting his blessings after a bullet pierced the ceiling of a Westfield fire station and landed just feet away from him as he prepared for bed.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. Saturday at Westfield Fire Station No. 2 on Bentley Street, according to Fire Chief Adrian Dillehay.

Three firefighters were at the station at the time, preparing for a 24-hour shift.

One firefighter was brushing his teeth in a bathroom when he heard a loud bang.

"He was brushing his teeth. He heard a loud bang, and it turned out it was a bullet that was fired in the air," Dillehay said.

The bullet pierced the station's ceiling and landed near the firefighter. No one was injured.

Dillehay said the incident was traumatic for the firefighters, particularly because of how close the bullet came to striking someone.

"For something like this to happen to almost affect us in a very negative way...it's traumatizing," Dillehay said.

Investigators have not determined where the bullet came from.

Dillehay urged people to be responsible with firearms, noting that bullets fired into the air eventually come back down.

The firefighters were back on duty less than 24 hours later, responding to calls in the community.

While ABC13 was at the station Sunday preparing to speak with Dillehay about the shots-fired incident, lightning struck nearby, setting fire to a backyard on the same block.

Firefighters quickly put out the fire. No one was hurt, but burned power lines and vegetation were visible in the area.

Alma Vazquez said it happened in her mother's backyard. She said she was thankful firefighters were nearby to respond.

"Thank God they got here to put out the fire because it could've gotten really bad," Vazquez said.

Another resident, Destiny Carrizales, said she heard the gunfire Saturday night and witnessed the response to Sunday's fire.

"Look how fast they came," Carrizales said. "If something would've happened, it would've been very sad to hear about because they are the ones that come to protect us."

Dillehay said investigators still do not know who fired the bullet or where it came from. He is urging people to use caution with firearms to prevent a close call from becoming a tragedy.