SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A San Francisco firefighter suffered a serious spinal injury while battling a large residential fire in the Marina District last week, according to his loved ones. Chris Vickery fell from the third floor to the second floor while inside the burning Chestnut Street home and was rescued by fellow firefighters.
Vickery, a husband and father of three, broke his second lumbar vertebra into several pieces in the fall, a doctor said. The GoFundMe page has been verified He was set up to help support his family. During an intensive surgery that lasted seven hours, doctors inserted 10 screws and two rods to stabilize his spine.
Over the next year, while Vickery rests without being able to do any physical work, the goal is to heal the bones and fuse the middle six vertebrae, his loved ones said.
“If all goes well, this will reduce some of the stiffness in his back and give him greater mobility in the long term,” the GoFundMe website stated.
Vickery “was always the type to jump in and help out and do whatever needed to be done for his family and friends. Now, it’s our turn to show him,” loved ones said.
Two other firefighters were transported to the hospital due to their injuries sustained in the fire. Another firefighter fell with Vickery, and another was injured during rescue and repair operations. The other two firefighters were released from the hospital on the same day of the fire.