Trapped under a roof collapse. The Mike Beutler Story – Part 1 (SAM 292)
At the time of the call, Mike Beutler responded as a volunteer firefighter with the Happy Valley Fire District (Oregon) to a commercial structure fire in a strip mall in the neighboring community of Damascus. Upon arrival, they found a True Value Hardware store fully involved with flames through the roof and blowing out the front windows. While operating a hand line from the exterior, Mike stepped under the mansard overhang to advance to the front windows of the now fully involved auto parts store. Moments later, a section of the overhang, approximately 30 feet in length (900 to 1,000 lbs per roofing square), collapsed directly on top of him, pinning him to the ground and surrounding him with flames.