Firefighter seriously hurt after fire truck tire ‘exploded’ in NC, officials say

A firefighter was hospitalized after a fire engine tire “exploded,” leading to a crash in Eastern North Carolina, officials said.

The truck was leaving a Christmas parade when it became “uncontrollable” and hit a pipe on Saturday, Dec. 4, according to the Hubert Volunteer Fire Department.

“We had taken the back roads around to avoid the delay of the rest of the parade since we were very near the front,” firefighters wrote in a Facebook post. “So we were trying to return to our district at the time of the crash.”

The fire department said the truck was going about 40 mph when a tire burst, making it hard for the driver to maintain control.

“Our chief fought hard to control the truck, and managed to keep the truck upright as it impacted a driveway pipe and came to a stop,” the Facebook post said.

A firefighter had “major injuries” and was airlifted to a hospital from the crash site on Stella Road, according to a GoFundMe page that says it’s raising money for his recovery. Photos from the scene show a mangled fire truck in a dirt-filled ditch.

The fire department is based in Hubert, a community in Onslow County and roughly 70 miles northeast of Wilmington.

“We ask that you keep us all in your prayers,” officials said in a post that expressed gratitude for agencies that helped after the crash. “We will be back, we will recover, and we will keep going.”

Firefighter charged with DUI after firetruck hits sign and flips over, SC cops say

‘Tell my family I love them.’ Firefighter dies after collapse in burning Maryland home