Injured area firefighter remains in hospital

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

INDIANAPOLIS — A Convoy volunteer firefighter who suffered serious burns while battling a blaze at a Lare Road home on Wednesday remains in an Indianapolis hospital and is scheduled to have surgery on Monday. However, he appears to be in good spirits.

Firefighter Chaise Dawson will have skin graft surgery at Eskenazi Hospital. The word came down Thursday, after doctors reviewed and assessed the affected areas and took photos of the third degree burns on his arm, neck, back, ear, and shoulder.

“During his skin assessment they determined his capillaries under his skin are severely damaged and because of this they are rising to the surface of his skin,” his wife Olivia (McKeddie) Dawson said. “This is not good, and the only way to repair the damaged skin is surgery. He is scheduled to have surgery Monday morning. It will be a skin graft.”

The burns occurred when a flash fire happened while Dawson was inside the home fighting the blaze with others. It forced him to jump from a first floor window. On Friday, Dawson admitted he was feeling a bit nervous about the surgery and he said he’s ready to return to Van Wert County.

“I’m so ready to be home with my fire brothers, my wife and kids,” he said. “I had my late daughter Emberlynn, my grandma Dixie Rathert and my biggest reason for wanting to be a firefighter, the late Rod Dawson, looking over me.”

Dawson was up and on the move at the hospital on Friday and was able to look out the window and see many of the nearby buildings.

“He was super bummed out that he couldn’t see Lucas Oil Stadium from the hallway window,” McKeddie quipped. If you know Chaise, you know he loves his sports.”

After Tuesday’s incident, Dawson and his wife said one thing has been certain – the amount of support, including fundraisers, shown has been incredible.

“The support means the world to us,” Dawson said. “I was 10 seconds away from losing everything. I’m grateful for the training I’ve received that allows us to know what to do when things get bad. I just feel very fortunate that I was able to get out when I did.”

“Chaise and I would again like to thank everyone who has taken time to get ahold of us, donations, and other very generous offers,” Olivia said. “It’s definitely keeping our spirits up! You are all amazing. We still have a long road ahead of us.”

Dawson is expected to remain hospitalized at least until the end of next week.

Another Convoy firefighter, Jake Hicks, was injured during the fire as well, but continues to recover and was back at the fire scene on Thursday.