Marion County firefighter's recovery from burns could involve surgery, lengthy rehab

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Marion County firefighter burned in a mobile home fire is being evaluated at the burn unit inside the William A. Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

According to James Lucas, spokesperson for Marion County Fire Rescue, on Wednesday, Capt. Chris Trubelhorn sustained severe burns to his arms and torso while attempting to exit the fiery mobile home on SE 20th Place in the Silver Springs community.

"The conditions within the fire became too much to handle, so they backed out and went into defensive mode," Lucas said. "It was then when they backed out they noticed Captain Trubelhorn was burned to his upper torso."

The 18-year veteran of the Marion County Fire Rescue is expected to be in the burn unit for the next few weeks. According to Lucas, doctors are evaluating the extent of his injuries to determine a treatment plan, which could involve surgery and rehab. Lucas said the captain remains in high spirits.

"Chris is a very resilient guy… he’s one that will be able to handle this and maintain a great attitude, but he’s got a long road ahead of him."

According to Lucas, Trubelhorn will not be at the hospital alone. In addition to his family, he said members of Marion County Fire Rescue will be taking turns to stay by the captain’s side.

A multi-level investigation is now being conducted into the origin of the fire, and how Trubelhorn came to be injured, Lucas said.