Peoria Fire-Medical Department engineer Michael Selmer said Friday's explosion in Surprise was the biggest call the department has responded to in his 19 years with the department.
Eight Valley firefighters were injured in the explosion at an APS energy storage facility. Selmer said Monday the incident, which involved four firefighters from the Peoria Fire-Medical Department's hazmat team, has been a shock to the department. The team, Selmer said, hadn't seen a call of this magnitude in nearly two decades.
"With having four of our firefighters injured all at the same time and then the extent of the injuries of the majority of them is just overwhelming for us," he said. "We're just not used to it."
Selmer described the aftermath of the scene as a "sad sight," saying the helmets and face masks of the firefighters were blown off.