Just before 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, five Redmond Fire Department (RFD) firefighters were working on diverting the water leak on the third-floor master bedroom of one of the buildings located in The Heights at Bear Creek complex in the 17700 block of Northeast 90th Street.

According to a press release, due to water saturation, the entire plaster board ceiling of the bedroom collapsed onto the crew. When the crew members self-extricated themselves out of the debris, they realized one crew member suffered injuries to his left shoulder and leg. The injured firefighter was evacuated from the structure, then evaluated and treated by Redmond firefighters and paramedics from Redmond’s Medic One. The paramedics transported the injured firefighter to Evergreen Hospital; the firefighter is in stable condition.

RFD units had been busy responding to several water-related calls throughout the day, due to frozen pipes thawing.

RFD advises, “Whenever water pipes exist in unheated spaces like attics and crawlspaces, there is always danger of the pipes freezing this time of year. Often, frozen pipes go undiscovered until it warms up enough for the ice inside the pipes to melt and reveal the leaks from the ice damaged pipes. 

“Your firefighters want you to know: You should locate your water shut-off valves for appliances, water fixtures and/or your domestic supply to your residence. Be sure other family members know how to do it when you’re away from home. Your firefighters may be delayed due to numerous other similar calls, so the more you can do to stop the flooding, the better off your personal belongings will be.”